If the current trend continues, no one will be able to accuse Aaron Pico of having a padded record anytime soon.
Bellator prospect Aaron Pico proved to the world that he was worthy of all the hype in his most recent outing.
The man famously labelled "
the greatest MMA prospect I've ever seen" by trainer Bob Cook, earned one of the knockouts of the year in the first round against Justin Linn.
Pico entered the contest with a 0-1 pro record, while Linn was 7-3. Once the fists started flying, it was the more experienced guy who fell in spectacular fashion.
https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA/status/911768355572391936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fmma%2Faaron-pico-justin-linn-137813
With the first win out of the way, Pico will be looking to add a second at Bellator 192 on January 20. In order to string consecutive wins together, he will need to get past Shane Krutchen, a 15-fight veteran who's been a professional for a decade.
Kruchten (12-3) most recently fought for the WSOF, defeating Jeremy Mahon via unanimous decision at the end of 2016. The 33-year-old has only lost one of his past 13 bouts. Pico, on the other hand, is a 1-1 fighter.
At 18, Pico had won a FILA national championship in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, a Junior Golden Gloves championship, signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike and was snapped up by Bellator on a long-term contract. So, talent or athletic ability isn't the issue here.
However, considering what happened in his promotional/professional debut on their first ever New York card against Zach Freeman, who was 8-2 and entering off the back of an RFA title fight loss to Thiago Moises, Bellator may be sweating over this booking.
https://twitter.com/NickBrownHD/status/878813378419933184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
