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Original Description
Aaron Pico joins Brett Okamoto ahead of his featherweight co-main event at #UFC319 vs. Lerone Murphy.
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Video Transcript
We made it, dude. Yeah, we're here. UFC
debut. It of course there was one final
curveball before it happened, but you're
here in Chicago. How's the week been?
We're here on a Wednesday. How's the
week been so far?
The week has been really good. I've uh
got to meet everybody and see a UFC
fight week and yeah, everything is
running smoothly and I'm happy to be
here, but uh I know what I know what the
task the task is and I'm staying
focused. So,
are you in are you enjoying it? Um
because you're such you are I know
you're a serious guy and you take this
very serious. Are you enjoying it or
does this feel like business coming into
Chicago?
I think I'm doing a good job of uh
enjoying it and and staying focused.
Like I said, I I know what the task is
and that's uh break somebody's face on
Saturday, but I'm actually enjoying uh
um just everything. I need to learn to
enjoy the process. So everything's good.
I mean, you're you're there's so many
circumstances going into this one,
obviously with with the UFC debut, but
then the layoff as well. I mean, the way
you word it, I love it. You're here to
break somebody's face. You haven't done
that for a while. What's what's the
layoff been like for you?
Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but that's
the reality of it. I came here on a
business trip, and that's to to hurt
somebody in the cage, and that's what I
do for a living. But, uh, yeah, the
layoff has been it's been good when I
really think about it. I've really had
time to get better as a martial artist
and let my body heal. Um, but I'm
itching to get back in the cage and you
know, it's been a lot of turn of events,
but I'm staying focused and uh this this
game is a a crazy one, but now we're
here in Chicago and Saturday night I'm
going to do what I do best.
Can you talk about what this means to to
be standing there with the the the words
the letters UFC behind you and when you
walk out and you're finally in the UFC?
What does that mean to you, Aaron?
Well, it means it means a lot. I think
it's no secret I've had a lot of I've I
didn't have an easy path to get here. I
really had to dig myself out of a hole.
I had to really ask myself if this is
something that I wanted to do. I took
some big losses early on. There was a
lot of pressure. And uh but quitting was
never an option. And I look back on all
the sacrifices and the the early
mornings and uh leaving school. And you
know, it goes as back as even being in
being 8 years old and taking my own
lunch on a field trip because I had to
make weight in two weeks for a wrestling
tournament. And people and the parents
would make comments to me like, "You're
not going to eat the cupcake because you
have a wrestling tournament." And uh I
would always say, "Yeah, I have a big I
have nationals in two weeks." And I look
at everything, all the accumulation of
all the little uh
uh decisions I made and they ultimately
led me here. and I I'm not taking this
for granted and really really want to
put on a good show and become a world
champion.
And and the UFC in particular, you told
me one time that you used to sit in your
car and and and pitcher interviews when
you were in the UFC. Can you talk about
that? And then just the fact of of like
being here in this promotion and having
this platform.
Yeah. You know, after I take some after
I took like a hard loss or anything like
that, people ask me all the time like
how did you keep going? And one big
thing is is that I would go to the gas
station, get a cup of coffee, and leave
practice an hour, an hour and a half
early, and I would just drive and play
the play my favorite songs and practice
my postfight interviews with Joe Rogan.
And I would do it over and over again. I
honestly have probably done it a
thousand times. Sometimes the post the
postfight interview would go on for 45
minutes. Um, but uh that really kept me
going. And uh
another thing is is uh I would always
listen to the the UFC intro, the Bab the
Babo O'Reilly and and I'd play that in
the car and practice over and over again
of uh
talking to Joe Rogan and uh Saturday
night I I plan on doing my first
interview with him.
Yeah. I mean that's incredible. And h
how how how do you make sure that your
emotions are in check when you walk out
then? I mean, if this is something that
you've been driving around thinking
about from gas stations, from, you know,
after losses and hard times, how do you
make sure that that you're in the right
frame of mind when you walk out on
Saturday?
Well, I think for me is just remember
who I am. I I'm I've been at the World
Championships. I've fought on big big
cards before. I've been in arenas with
thousands of screaming fans. This is no
different. It just has the UFC a lot
more eyeballs and uh I think I'm going
to do fine. I've I've competed all my
life. Of course, I I'm not making it
bigger than what it needs to be. I know
what I need to do and block out the
noise and and do my job. And if I do
that, it's going to be a great night.
Yeah. Lor Murphy, I mean, obviously
Mozar, different different opponent. I
said I saw in one interview you did that
uh you you referred to him as a runner
and that he has good footwork and that
you like that you like fighting guys
with good foot footwork and and a
runner. Can you explain what you mean by
that?
Well, I think I cut off the cage. Well,
I I have good footwork, but my footwork
is not not um you know, uh evading
people. I I'm really good at cutting off
the cage and and getting my shots off. I
th I thrive in that. And I'm I have a
good ability to back people up against
the cage and let my my combinations go
whether I can, you know, take them down
and can. But the thing is is I don't
care who you are. I will back you up and
get you on the cage and get my shots
off. And I've watched his fights and
he's, you know, susceptible for certain
shots and and uh but yeah, I have to put
a lot of pressure because I think he's
going to really come out and and run.
And he'd be stupid to sit there and and
uh exchange punches with me. But the
thing is is I will hunt you down. Like
it's just a matter of time before I get
you on the cage and get a left hook off
or a right hand or take you down. So,
it's just a matter of time.
It felt like when you were matched up
with Mosar that that was that was it.
Winner of that is going to get a title
fight. There's nowhere where else to
really go. And because Mosar had to pull
out and now you're fighting Murphy, do
you think the stakes are still the same?
You feel like this is one stop, take out
this guy and then title shot or do you
feel like like that's not less certain
in your mind?
I think I think after a good performance
on Saturday, fighting for a title is
definitely not out of the question. And
you look at the top five guys,
Boonowski's
a legend. He's cleaned house and I think
he's looking for some new uh compet, you
know, new competition and new new faces
to fight and he hasn't fought in a few
months or more than a few months. So, I
think uh he's those championship paydays
are are pay well. So, I think he's
itching to fight and
God willing everything goes well, but
fighting him in December is what I would
like to do. and
I'm sure that's something that he would
want as well.
Yep. Well, I'm looking forward to it.
I've looked forward to it for a long
time. I know it's been a long road for
you to get here and the fact that it's
happening and then we're talking about
maybe an immediate title fight already
in December. It's like it just happens
so fast when it does happen, right? So,
hey, that's just the name of the game.
I'm enjoying everything about it. And I
like I said, I came into the UFC to not
people laughed at me said I'm not just
here to like, you know, for a
participation trophy. I'm here to take
that belt. And uh I wanted to do it in
in a year and I always say if you do the
right thing, you train hard, you listen
to your coaches, everything will fall
into place and and and it's it's
happening now, but I have to do my job
on Saturday and and go get go get that
belt.
Well, we'll tell the broadcast to uh to
plan a little pause between fights after
yours with that 45minute interview with
Joe.
It's crazy. I I wish I had I wish I were
would have recorded them. They would go
on and on and on and I don't think I'm
going to say half the things that I said
in the car, you know, but that's what
kept me going and couple days away from
doing it.
Well, congratulations on being here,
man. Looking forward to it. Thank you.
[Applause]
[Music]