Your expectations for Pico

[UseARubberGuard]

So, as most of us know, UberGodTier prospect Aaron Pico makes his debut next week at Bellator NYC.

Just wanted to hear people's thoughts and expectations from him. Do you think Bellator treats this like a high level boxing prospect, where he gets slowly built up? Do you think he gets a couple gimme fights and then thrown into the deep end? Do you think he's going to end up being a total flop (for you cynics out there)?

This is a first for Bellator, and I'm, obviously, very interested to see what Coker has planned for him.

 

[Meathead Jock]

So, as most of us know, UberGodTier prospect Aaron Pico makes his debut next week at Bellator NYC.

Just wanted to hear people's thoughts and expectations from him. Do you think Bellator treats this like a high level boxing prospect, where he gets slowly built up? Do you think he gets a couple gimme fights and then thrown into the deep end? Do you think he's going to end up being a total flop (for you cynics out there)?

This is a first for Bellator, and I'm, obviously, very interested to see what Coker has planned for him.

Already getting a harder first fight than I would have expected. I think he could be the 145lb champ within a year (Sorry Pitbull) given the level of his first fight at 155lbs.

 

[UseARubberGuard]

Already getting a harder first fight than I would have expected. I think he could be the 145lb champ within a year (Sorry Pitbull) given the level of his first fight at 155lbs.

They definitely didn't give him any favors in his debut match-up.

Do you ultimately see him at 145? I know he wrestled there, but he's still only 20 and will have time to fill out.

 

[Meathead Jock]

They definitely didn't give him any favors in his debut match-up.

Do you ultimately see him at 145? I know he wrestled there, but he's still only 20 and will have time to fill out.

Its hard to tell. I think that was the plan when they originally signed him but there was a picture of him shirtless with two other people awhile ago where it looked like he had added a lot of muscle.

You'd kind of have to think they are hoping for him to take over 145lbs instead of 155lbs given Michael Chandler is basically the Golden Child of Bellator.

Would have to see his contract to be certain though. He gets a monthly salary paycheck I guess regardless if he fights or not. If that monthly paycheck is of decent size I don't think they slow play his build up to a title shot though.

 

[UseARubberGuard]

Its hard to tell. I think that was the plan when they originally signed him but there was a picture of him shirtless with two other people awhile ago where it looked like he had added a lot of muscle.

You'd kind of have to think they are hoping for him to take over 145lbs instead of 155lbs given Michael Chandler is basically the Golden Child of Bellator.

Would have to see his contract to be certain though. He gets a monthly salary paycheck I guess regardless if he fights or not. If that monthly paycheck is of decent size I don't think they slow play his build up to a title shot though.

I have similar thoughts to you, although I think we will eventually see Bellator's version of a "Passing the Torch" fight between the two of them, ala Hughes/GSP.

 

[Bogeyman]

Best case scenario: similar to Henry Cejudo. Had a good boxing background and good amateur wrestling credentials but ultimately came up short against fighters that have been MMA fighters from the start. Cejudo has time to improve though and I'm sure he will. He'll be facing lower level fighters than Cejudo did if he gets to the top in Bellator, but looks like he'll have it tougher from the start in Bellator.

Really how well he does solely depends on the skills he develops as an MMA fighter. Cejudo already had a lot of pro fights before he started fighting top level fighters though.

So in my view, it's far too early to tell how he'll do as an MMA fighter when he hasn't even had a pro MMA fight yet. Some posters around here are expecting him to come in and blow the doors off the division, I'd give him a solid 4-5 years before expecting to see a serious elite level fighter.

 

[HaulParris]

I think it depends how/where he trains. On one hand, if he gets a monthly salary, he can maybe build a camp around himself, like high-level boxers do. This may be great, or it can backfire, as it did with Brock. On the other hand, training with a proven team (like ATT / TriStar / Jackson-Winklejohn), while it won't give you as much personal attention, will give you more sparring / training partners, etc.

 

[Meathead Jock]

He trains with AKA part time and part time at his home elsewhere in California with flown in partners and Bob Cooks private coaching.

 

[Meathead Jock]

Best case scenario: similar to Henry Cejudo.

Cejudo crossed my mind but I think he comes in ahead of Cejudo.

Cejudo clearly was a great wrestler, but MMA got him about 5 years after he won Olympic Gold and 1 year after he followed it up by not making the Olympic Team. After he won the Gold he only wrestled about a grand total of 10 matches in those 5 years instead tried to brand himself as a professional role model. None the less despite his laziness for 5 years his wrestling was elite and similar to Picos at the point of entering the sport.

However Cejudos boxing was never anything special; his boxing got people like myself excited just because the concept that he tried out boxing instead of mma after wrestling assured us that he wasn't scared to take a hit like you see with many wrestlers. Pico at the youth level though was a world class boxer as opposed to a guy who boxed instead of taking the easy path for a wrestler of that level (Cejudo).

Pico also has the pankration experience where he was a national champ which i'm ignorant too but is a lot like MMA I guess.

Throw in he has a world class gym in AKA (if they don't kill his knees) and Bob Cook as a full time guy. Cejudo trains out of small rinky dink gym that has kickboxing cardio classes last I checked.

Basically Pico has all the advantages except a small one in wrestling.

Cejudo failed to reach my expectations but in reality I thought he beat Joey B (super close) so its hard to say a guy failed to live up to the hype when I feel like Mighty Mouse was his only legit loss. So if he ends up at a Cejudo level its a let down but still damn good.

 

[Bogeyman]

Cejudo failed to reach my expectations but in reality I thought he beat Joey B (super close) so its hard to say a guy failed to live up to the hype when I feel like Mighty Mouse was his only legit loss. So if he ends up at a Cejudo level its a let down but still damn good.

Good points made all round but I didn't say that following the career of Cejudo would be a bad thing, I still think Cejudo could be the fighter to take the mantle from Johnson and dominate the division for a while. But it is an ongoing process and it will take time, Cejudo's athletic background obviously stands to him as he has had 12 fights in four years which is pretty much the gold standard for an MMA fighter's activity level.

My main point was that his MMA experience got him into such a strong position to challenge for the title so early in his career, and he got that experience in low-stakes fights. Pico isn't getting that luxury now. I'm sure he has all the makings of a good MMA fighter, 10-15 fights down the road but I'd be worried about these early stages of his MMA career when he hasn't even had a fight yet and is being matched against a much more experienced competitor.

It might have been better for him to cut his teeth against guys with his own level of MMA experience. You know what MMA fans are like, records count for everything. He could learn all of the skills to be a champ in a few years but nobody will take him seriously if he ends up as a 0-3 fighter in the first year of his career.

All of the advantages he has with wrestling and boxing are great but he will be fighting MMA fighters that have only ever been MMA fighters. And by the looks of it, he'll be fighting experienced fighters. You've got to worry if he can fulfill his potential in such a position.

 

[NoStoneUnturned]

High expectations. Elite wrestler who by all accounts has cross trained in all areas of MMA for years. 20 years old. The sky is the limit in terms of potential. I don't like comparisons to Cejudo as he was solely focused on wrestling at a much later age. He was 21 when he won his gold medal and started mma in 2013. Cejudo also has discipline problems concerning weight management. Pico has known for a long time he was heading into the fight game. It is important to remember that potential and results rarely intertwine. We shall see.

edit: error on cejudo age

 

[Thesnake101]

Thinking he's gonna be Bellator's next Chandler, meaning that he'll run through a lot of Bellator's guys.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

I have expectations but I still need to see how his striking looks in a MMA fight before I have big expectations, because yes he is a great wrestler but this sport if you can't strike then you won't get very far. He trains at AKA so if he is anything like Cormier then he will be a huge success.

 

[GIBLERTBAPTISTA]

The only things I know about him are what I've read on Sherdog, dude has big shoes to fill. Personally I never expect too much off a guy making his debut, but I'm still excited to see it.

 

[Fluffernutter]

I wanted him to get the Pete Radenmacher treatment: Title shot for pro debut.

 

[Fluffernutter]

He gets a monthly salary paycheck I guess regardless if he fights or not. If that monthly paycheck is of decent size I don't think they slow play his build up to a title shot though.

Isn't that like Askren's deal?

Are there any UFC guys that get a salary?

 

[Meathead Jock]

Isn't that like Askren's deal?

Are there any UFC guys that get a salary?

Askren gets bonus money for coaching at Evolve. I don't think hr gets a monthly salary but i've been told they've paid him a few times due to his inactivity but not many details are out there about that.

Pico and boxer Daniel Dubois are the only two fighters I've heard of getting a guaranteed monthly salary.

 

[Meathead Jock]

 

[Meathead Jock]

 

[Meathead Jock]

They definitely didn't give him any favors in his debut match-up.

Do you ultimately see him at 145? I know he wrestled there, but he's still only 20 and will have time to fill out.

Just watched an interview with him where he said he is still filling into his frame at 155lbs and only sees himself getting strongly there.

So I guess 145lbs isn't in the future as of now.