'The Prodigy' vs 'The Pitbull': The 2026 Rematch Between Bellator Elites
Aaron Pico has ‘the look’ that an MMA fighter is supposed to have, and I’m not referring to his physical appearance. He has the resume and movement patterns of a man destined for greatness in the octagon. He was a 2013 under-17 world champion and won the Junior Golden Gloves; he carried a massive hype train behind him as he entered professional competitions. A World Champion wrestler who won national boxing tournaments seemed almost like the chosen one, like he was destined to succeed. He had a Nike shoe deal before he even made his debut.
He wasn’t. Pico lost his debut fight, then went on a four-fight knockout victory streak before being knocked out twice himself. He won the following six in a row, five of which came by way of finish, and then suffered a loss due to a dislocated shoulder. Then he won another three, with two coming by finish, before debuting in the UFC and losing to Lerone Murphy in a highlight reel spinning back elbow knockout. When Pico wins, he seems unstoppable. He’s physically imposing, has a great ability to take his opponents down, and has vicious, powerful, and accurate combinations. In his victories, he looks every bit like the MMA golden boy that he was supposed to be. When he loses, however, he looks reckless, hittable, and defensively lacking. The skills are there, true, but Pico hasn’t shown he can piece them together at an elite level.
Patricio Pitbull got his start in a much different manner. He came up on the regional scene in Brazil, fighting in small promotions like Platinum Fight and Leal Combat. Pitbull, like Pico, is an ace grappler and a powerful puncher, but he’s a veteran, and his credentials are all MMA. In his first 26 professional fights, a period in which he also won the Bellator featherweight strap, Pitbull had only two losses, each coming by way of split decision. By the time he left Bellator, he had nine title defenses, had captured the lightweight title by knocking out Michael Chandler, and challenged for the bantamweight belt. As much as it could be said of anyone outside the UFC, he was MMA royalty before he even crossed the line.
Like Pico’s transition to professional MMA, Pitbull’s transition to the UFC was underwhelming. In his loss to Yair Rodriguez, he looked extremely gun-shy, unwilling to take risks. In his next fight, a victory over Dan Ige, which some called a make-or-break moment for him, he failed to dominate as many had believed he should. By the time he and Pico fight on April 11th, he will be three months away from his 39th birthday. He’s a legend, but it seems his best days are behind him.
Styles make fights, and Pico has the wrong style to beat even an aging Pitbull. Pitbull might be getting up there in age, but he still has fast, crisp, and powerful hands, on top of an excellent grappling pedigree. That’s exactly what someone needs to stay away from Pico’s wrestling and catch him when he makes one of his defensive mistakes. My prediction? Pitbull by second-round KO.
