Pico Pursues Murphy Rematch After UFC 319 KO Loss

Aaron Pico wants another crack at Lerone Murphy.

The former Bellator fighter dropped his UFC debut at UFC 319 last year when Murphy landed a spinning reverse elbow that ended the bout inside one round. Pico believes he held the edge before the knockout and remains convinced a rematch would produce a different outcome. He told MMA Junkie the loss taught him valuable lessons but said competing again against Murphy makes sense for two reasons.

Why Pico Sees Murphy As Path To Title

First, Pico wants to settle the score. Second, Murphy sits in the featherweight top five, meaning victory would move Pico closer to championship contention. "I know I can beat him," he said, per the outlet.

Since the Murphy setback, Pico has recorded consecutive victories against Patricio Freire and Losene Keita to move his professional mark to 15-5. Murphy competed in a title eliminator bout against Movsar Evloev following the Pico win but absorbed his first career defeat, leaving his record at 17-1-1.

No date or venue has been announced for either fighter's next appearance.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Aaron Pico isn't done with Lerone Murphy: 'I know I can beat him'