Aaron Pico Wants UFC to Ban Ranking Squatters After 74-Second UFC 333 Knockout
Aaron Pico blitzed Losene Keita in 74 seconds at UFC 333, then called for ranked fighters who duck opponents to be benched for a year.
Aaron Pico needed just 74 seconds to finish Losene Keita by TKO on the UFC 333 main card in Abu Dhabi, and he had plenty to say afterward about the state of the featherweight division.
Pico came out firing from the opening bell and put Keita away before the round was two minutes old. It was a statement performance on the biggest stage of his career so far, and he used the Octagon microphone to go after fighters he says are clogging the 145-pound rankings.
"These guys, I just call them ranking squatters," Pico said in his post-fight interview. "They need to be banned for a year." He accused ranked featherweights of sitting on their positions and backing out of fights rather than competing regularly.
Pico's frustration has a specific target, per EssentiallySports. Aljamain Sterling reportedly turned down a short-notice fight with Pico at UFC 333 after Arnold Allen withdrew from the card. Sterling opted instead to face Kevin Vallejos at UFC Qatar, saying a Pico fight would not have helped his position in the division.
As for what's next, Pico said he wants the title, and if that is not available, he wants Lerone Murphy. He told reporters he is ready to fight again as soon as matchmaker Hunter Campbell calls. UFC 336 in Toronto on January 30 could be a natural landing spot, with Allen a logical opponent now that both are healthy.
Pico is absolutely right, and I've been saying this for years. There are guys in the UFC rankings who fight once a year, turn down short-notice opportunities, and then complain when someone leapfrogs them. That's not competing. That's squatting.
The 74-second knockout speaks for itself. Pico is one of the most dangerous finishers at featherweight, and the fact that Aljamain Sterling turned down a fight with him tells you everything you need to know. Sterling calculated that the risk was not worth the reward. That's a compliment to Pico, but it's also exactly the kind of matchmaking avoidance that frustrates fans and active fighters.
I don't think the UFC will actually ban anyone for a year, but Pico is building the kind of case where the matchmakers have to give him a ranked opponent next. Give him Murphy or Allen in Toronto and let him prove it against the top ten.
