Former Bellator standout Aaron Pico has been given a tough assignment for his UFC debut.
Pico (13-4) is set to face undefeated featherweight contender Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in a five-round co-main event at UFC Abu Dhabi, taking place at the Etihad Arena on July 26.
UFC President Dana White announced the matchup in a video posted to his social media accounts on Wednesday and confirmed that Evloev will earn a featherweight title shot if he defeats Pico.
“Evloev is undefeated at 19-0 and one of the most intimidating guys at featherweight”, White said. “Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler. Pico has had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill and fighting style, which people compare him to the likes of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier. If Movsar can get the victory, he will likely be the next contender for the title against Alexander Volkanovski. Expect this fight to be an absolute war.”
The event is set to be headlined by a high-profile matchup between former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and Reinier de Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who has made an electrifying start to his UFC career since joining from ONE Championship last year, where he previously held titles in two different weight classes.
UFC President Dana White revealed that “RDR” could earn a No. 1 contender fight at 185 pounds if he defeats “The Reaper” in Abu Dhabi.
“De Ridder is a former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion and has finished every one he has fought in the UFC”, White said. “He's coming off a win over the top prospect in the sport, Bo Nickal. If De Ridder can beat Whittaker, it's very likely he'll be fighting for the number one contender bout next.”
White also dropped the news that Bryce Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is set to drop down to the 135-pound division and take on Said Nurmagomedov (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), while Shara “Bullet” Magomedov (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns in the middleweight division to face Marc-André Barriault (17-9 MMA, 6-8 UFC).
Full UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Card
- Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder
- Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico
- Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee
- Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov
- Shara Magomedov vs Marc-André Barriault
- Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov
- Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci
- Asu Almabayev vs. Ramazan Temirov
- Ibo Aslan vs Billy Elekana
