Rumored Evloev vs Pico in Abu Dhabi, July 26

[JustBleed69]

Evloev is better everywhere. Weird matchmaking and terrible first fight for someone with the potential of Pico.

 

[xhaydenx]

This is almost always a bad take re: amateur wrestling.

Aljo is a world class MMA adapted submission grappler. This is not a freestyle wrestling tournament, its fighting.

Bo Nickal is a 3 time NCAA champion who beat multiple World and Pan Am medalists in freestyle. He just got out grappled by a Dutchman BJJ guy who literally never wrestled in his life.

Jon Jones was a JuCo wrestler who out wrestled a two time Olympian and World medalist. Amateur wrestling is a great base for MMA but having those credentials doesn't decide winners in MMA match-ups.

Setting all that aside, Pico was a teenage phenom who's claim to fame was failing to make a world team against a guy who didn't even medal that year. He never went to the NCAA, he never attempted to make another world team. Pico placed FIFTH in the Ukrainian Open that year. Fifth.

There is nothing we've seen out of Pico in MMA that suggests he's a better MMA grappler than Evloev.

I do get what you're saying, but man you can't compare Pico to someone like Bo. Pico isn't just a wrestler who is trying out MMA. He's been all in on MMA for 8 years now.

I'm not saying that Pico being great as a wrestler means that it'll decide his MMA matchups, or that he's a better MMA grappler than Evloev. I'm just saying that he's the most accomplished wrestler that Evloev has ever faced, which he is. And he is more accomplished than Evloev as well.

For someone like Pico, grappling just isn't his kryptonite like that poster was saying.

 

[HOLA]

Horrible matchup for Evloev.

Pico has Olympic level wrestling. He beat recent world champs when he was just 17 or 18. He came as close to making the Olympic team as you can get without making it. The guy he lost to on tiebreaker criteria made it to the bronze medal match. His wrestling translates to MMA well + he has endless cardio.

Evoloev just isn't going to get the better of him in grappling. Not happening.

+ Pico has fuck you KO power and Evloev doesn't.

 

[rjmbrd]

I do get what you're saying, but man you can't compare Pico to someone like Bo. Pico isn't just a wrestler who is trying out MMA. He's been all in on MMA for 8 years now.

You are correct for two reasons: 1) Bo is far more accomplished in wrestling by a country mile than Pico and 2) he wasn't getting knocked out by guys you've never heard of early in his career.

I'm not saying that Pico being great as a wrestler means that it'll decide his MMA matchups, or that he's a better MMA grappler than Evloev. I'm just saying that he's the most accomplished wrestler that Evloev has ever faced, which he is. And he is more accomplished than Evloev as well.

Pico has virtually no accomplishments in wrestling. His claim to fame is he failed to make a world team, losing to a guy that didn't medal. That same year he placed FIFTH in the Ukrainian Open. I will repeat that again - he placed FIFTH.

He's never made a world team, never went to the NCAA and has virtually no credentials, other than being a really promising freak teenage athlete that never went anywhere with it.

Evloev has fought and beat world class MMA fighters. Guys that do this at the highest level for a living. The experience mismatch is Pico has - literally - never fought at this level before, once in his lifetime.

For someone like Pico, grappling just isn't his kryptonite like that poster was saying.

 

[xhaydenx]

You are correct for two reasons: 1) Bo is far more accomplished in wrestling by a country mile than Pico and 2) he wasn't getting knocked out by guys you've never heard of early in his career.




Pico has virtually no accomplishments in wrestling. His claim to fame is he failed to make a world team, losing to a guy that didn't medal. That same year he placed FIFTH in the Ukrainian Open. I will repeat that again - he placed FIFTH.

He's never made a world team, never went to the NCAA and has virtually no credentials, other than being a really promising freak teenage athlete that never went anywhere with it.

Evloev has fought and beat world class MMA fighters. Guys that do this at the highest level for a living. The experience mismatch is Pico has - literally - never fought at this level before, once in his lifetime.

Fair points. I guess we'll see how his wrestling holds up soon enough, as the fight isn't too far away.

 

[HOLA]

You are correct for two reasons: 1) Bo is far more accomplished in wrestling by a country mile than Pico and 2) he wasn't getting knocked out by guys you've never heard of early in his career.

Bo wasn't facing nearly the quality of opponents Pico was early in his career.

Pico has virtually no accomplishments in wrestling. His claim to fame is he failed to make a world team, losing to a guy that didn't medal. That same year he placed FIFTH in the Ukrainian Open. I will repeat that again - he placed FIFTH.

He beat Jacob Ness, Reece Humphrey and Jordan Oliver to get there. Then he lost to Molinaro, another national champion, on tiebreaker. They have like 6 D-1 championships between them. Pico was 19 and became the Olympic alternate. This isn't an accomplishment?

It's also closer than Nickal came to making an Olympic team, BTW.

I'm not sure what's so embarrassing about placing 5th in an international tournament? The guys who medaled were Olympic wrestlers.

He's never made a world team, never went to the NCAA and has virtually no credentials, other than being a really promising freak teenage athlete that never went anywhere with it.

Evloev has fought and beat world class MMA fighters. Guys that do this at the highest level for a living. The experience mismatch is Pico has - literally - never fought at this level before, once in his lifetime.

 

[JKS]

Evloev is better everywhere. Weird matchmaking and terrible first fight for someone with the potential of Pico.

Hold on, Evloev is a better boxer and striker??

 

[AmonTobin]

This can’t be real. No title fight, not even a top 3 opponent. Instead he’s fighting a Bellator newb? This can’t be real.

 

[JustBleed69]

Hold on, Evloev is a better boxer and striker??

Yep. Pico has better power, but opens himself up to be countered way too much. Also Pico has fought a bunch of absolute bums.
Evloev pieces him up.

 

[rjmbrd]

Bo wasn't facing nearly the quality of opponents Pico was early in his career.

Zach Freeman lost 2 of his last 3 before fighting Pico. He would lose his fight immediately after beating Pico, and retire. His single win (other than Pico) in his last 5 fights was against a guy with a 9-27 record.

Pico was not supposed to immediately get put away by this level of competition.

As Pico had similar ring time to modern Bo, he was getting smashed to sleep by journeyman Corralles and Borics. They are journeyman in the B-Leagues. That would be like Brundage and Craig murdering Bo when they fought.

He beat Jacob Ness, Reece Humphrey and Jordan Oliver to get there. Then he lost to Molinaro, another national champion, on tiebreaker. They have like 6 D-1 championships between them. Pico was 19 and became the Olympic alternate. This isn't an accomplishment?

NCAA All Americans (let alone runner-up and Champions) have to beat other D-1 top competition as the literal standard course of what they do. By definition you are beating other elite collegiate wrestlers to qualify and win.

Pico never wrestled in college and has no accomplishments there.

Molinaro didn't even medal, and has never earned an Olympic or World medal in his career. He even failed to qualify in 2016 but fell into it after doping disqualifications in other countries.

All that being said - Pico was a teenage phenom who's claim to fame was not making a world team and deciding against a collegiate career. He placed FIFTH at the Ukrainian Open that year.

It's also closer than Nickal came to making an Olympic team, BTW.

This is so absurd.

David Taylor is a THREE TIME World Champion, five time medalist, and Olympic Gold Medalist. He is one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation and in the rankings of greatest American amateur wrestlers of all time. That is who Bo was taking 2nd place to at team trials.

Taylor mops the floor with the guys who mop the floor with Molinaro.

I'm not sure what's so embarrassing about placing 5th in an international tournament? The guys who medaled were Olympic wrestlers.

Absolutely nothing. We have multiple actual former Olympians and several dozens of NCAA All Americans in MMA. When people who don't really understand wrestling talk about Pico its without the context of what he actually accomplished and how this translates to MMA in the first place.

Like morons in here saying Evolev has never competed with someone as good as Pico lmao.

 

[Streeter]

Why not Evolev vs Silva. That makes more sense. Actually he should be getting Volk . The fw match making makes no sense.

 

[HOLA]

Zach Freeman lost 2 of his last 3 before fighting Pico. He would lose his fight immediately after beating Pico, and retire. His single win (other than Pico) in his last 5 fights was against a guy with a 9-27 record.

Pico was not supposed to immediately get put away by this level of competition.

As Pico had similar ring time to modern Bo, he was getting smashed to sleep by journeyman Corralles and Borics. They are journeyman in the B-Leagues. That would be like Brundage and Craig murdering Bo when they fought.




NCAA All Americans (let alone runner-up and Champions) have to beat other D-1 top competition as the literal standard course of what they do. By definition you are beating other elite collegiate wrestlers to qualify and win.

Pico never wrestled in college and has no accomplishments there.

Molinaro didn't even medal, and has never earned an Olympic or World medal in his career. He even failed to qualify in 2016 but fell into it after doping disqualifications in other countries.

All that being said - Pico was a teenage phenom who's claim to fame was not making a world team and deciding against a collegiate career. He placed FIFTH at the Ukrainian Open that year.




This is so absurd.

David Taylor is a THREE TIME World Champion, five time medalist, and Olympic Gold Medalist. He is one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation and in the rankings of greatest American amateur wrestlers of all time. That is who Bo was taking 2nd place to at team trials.

Taylor mops the floor with the guys who mop the floor with Molinaro.



Absolutely nothing. We have multiple actual former Olympians and several dozens of NCAA All Americans in MMA. When people who don't really understand wrestling talk about Pico its without the context of what he actually accomplished and how this translates to MMA in the first place.

Like morons in here saying Evolev has never competed with someone as good as Pico lmao.

I'm a former wrestler. I understand wrestling and I know many people inside the wrestling community itself that thought very highly of Pico's wrestling.

But I don't think it requires a wrestling background to see that If you win the cadet world championships, then get a bronze and silver in the junior world championships, and smoke a recent senior level world champion when you're 18, these are big accomplishments; meanwhile, you're saying he has "virtually none."

But really, it's all a moot point. Main point: Pico is most likely going to crush Evloev. We'll see shortly.

 

[JKS]

Yep. Pico has better power, but opens himself up to be countered way too much. Also Pico has fought a bunch of absolute bums.
Evloev pieces him up.

Well okay then. Hope they stay standing, I don't think they're even close to the same level striking. Pico is considerably better.

 

[Fact Checker]

I don’t understand this matchmaking… Pico couldn’t even contend in Bellator why is he fighting the legit Number 1 contender?


Evloev has wins ove Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, Aljo, Ige etc… how much more does he have to do? Does Aaron freaking Pico get him over the hump?

Lets be honest here, the UFC is actively trying to derail Evloev… they don’t want him anywhere near that belt.


If Evloev accomplished half the things he did with a Mexican passport, he’d have an endless supply of title shots.

He’s also gotten absolutely washed against other minor leaguers… building up his confidence with a steady string of cans is good for Bellator but does nothing for the actual MMA fanbase.

Who has Pico actually beat? I don’t think he’s beaten a single top 50 guy in his career.

I tried to warn you guys… crazy you all thought it was a big signing lol