Daniel Cormier: Aaron Pico 'a real problem for everyone' after UFC 327

Daniel Cormier: Aaron Pico 'a real problem for everyone' after UFC 327

Daniel Cormier was blown away with what he saw from Aaron Pico at UFC 327.

After being on the wrong end of a Knockout of the Year contender in his debut vs. Lerone Murphy this past August, Pico (14-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) bounced back in a big way Saturday when he batter former multi-time Bellator champion Patricio Freire (37-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) for a unanimous decision in their featherweight matchup at Kaseya Center in Miami.

UFC Hall of Famer and color commentator Cormier said it was the type of performance he expected to see from Pico upon joining the promotion. He finally met the standard, and Cormier said that effort from Pico should put the 145-pound division on notice.

"Aaron Pico looked as good as he's ever looked in his entire life," Cormier said on his YouTube channel. "He was fast. He was quick, as we all know he is. He used wrestling and he was patient – that was probably the most impressive thing. I will tell you this: If the Aaron Pico that showed up (at UFC 327) fights that way all the time, he's a problem for Movsar (Evloev), he's a problem for (Alexander) Volkanovski, Diego Lopes and everybody else. His skill set is so complete. If he can fight right, he's a real problem for everyone.

"Hat's off to Aaron Pico and his entire team for putting together a game plan that worked and worked beautifully. I thought that tonight was the true example of what Aaron Pico can be whenever he fights to his potential."

Pico landed 100 significant strikes and scored six takedowns over the course of 15 minutes against "Pitbull," giving his first victory since February 2024 under the PFL banner.

After the win, Pico, 29, said he would like to fight undefeated contender Evloev or rematch Murphy in hopes of avenging his loss.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Cormier: Aaron Pico 'a real problem for everyone' after UFC 327