Aaron Pico returns to wrestling at RAF 10 against Lance Palmer
Aaron Pico will step back onto the wrestling mats for the first time in ten years when he faces Lance Palmer at RAF 10 on June 13 in St. Louis. RAF officials confirmed the matchup Thursday, per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin.
Pico last competed in freestyle wrestling in 2016, when he came one match short of making the Olympic team at 19 years old. He skipped the NCAA ranks entirely and beat seasoned veterans along the way. According to MMA Mania, he was the first American teenager in decades to win a Junior World Championship. After missing the Olympics, Pico shifted to MMA and eventually signed with the UFC, beating Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in April.
What Palmer brings to the RAF 10 matchup
Palmer owns an All-American pedigree from Ohio State, where he posted a 121-33 record and won a Big Ten title. He competed four times as an NCAA Division I All-American in 2010 and later captured back-to-back tournament titles in PFL. Palmer is 1-2 in RAF competition, with his lone win coming via a 3-2 decision over Cayden Henschel at RAF 8 in April.
Pico holds career wins over Zain Retherford, Jordan Oliver, and Reese Humphrey on the mats. Palmer notched a win over Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs during his wrestling career. The RAF 10 card takes place at Chaifetz Arena following the promotion’s RAF 09 event in Texas, headlined by Gable Steveson against Alexandr Romanov on May 30.
Photo: WrestlingSavesLives / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Original reporting:
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