“`html Aaron Pico is focused on his upcoming fight and staying open to future opportunities in the PFL-Bellator partnership

Aaron Pico is solely concentrating on his upcoming fight against Gabriel Bulaga at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions later this month. However, he is aware of potential opportunities that may come his way beyond this fight.

Like many others, Pico (12-4), who has been fighting under the Bellator banner throughout his MMA career, is uncertain about his future plans after the PFL takes over Bellator. He acknowledges that he is lucky to be on the first card of this new era for PFL, but the outcome of his fights in this new setup remains unclear.

There are several potential paths for Pico to consider, as he could potentially participate in a PFL season or PFL pay-per-view under the rebranded Bellator by PFL.

“When a significant decision like that is presented to me, I have several options to consider,” Pico told MMA Junkie. “I talk to my coach, my manager, my family and figure out what’s best. I haven’t really thought about it too much. I haven’t heard anything about Bellator and the PFL. The news I got was ‘February. Get ready for this game on the 24th.’ That’s all my brain can handle.”

Pico has always aspired to win a Bellator title, but with the promotion’s long-term future uncertain, the realization of this dream remains unknown. Nevertheless, Pico remains motivated by having an important goal to strive for.

“Of course, my big goal is to win the Bellator belt,” Pico said. “That’s what I tried to do. But I now have the mindset that no matter where I go, no matter what happens, nothing is impossible. To overcome it, no matter where I am. Whether I fight for the Bellator belt or not, I’m going to fight for the Bellator belt. Fight for the PFL? Fight for the PFL belt. No matter where they put me, I’m going to fight for the Bellator belt. wants to be the best. So wherever that ends up, time will tell. You just have to do your job. It’s that simple: Win, and if you win, everything will be solved.”

Pico, 27, is set to face one of the most challenging fights of his career on the PFL vs. Bellator card on February 24th at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ pay-per-view). His opponent, Bulaga (12-1), reached the finals of the 2023 PFL featherweight season but was defeated by TKO to Jesus Pinedo. The 25-year-old Brazilian possesses unique qualities that Pico will need to contend with on fight night.

“This is the toughest test of my career,” Pico said. “He’s young. He’s younger than me, and this is the first time I’ve fought someone younger than me. I’ve been fighting older men my whole life. But he’s a great striker and he’s a good grounder. But we’re good. This is going to be a great fight for us, so we’re ready to test ourselves and win.”

For more information on this card, visit MMA Junkie’s PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event hub.