MIAMI – Aaron Pico has no intention of rushing to a title shot.
Once one of the hottest prospects in the sport, Pico (8-3, 8-3 BMMA) took on stiff competition very early in his career, which resulted in a 4-3 start with back-to-back knockout losses.
But after resetting, Pico started living up to his potential and has knocked out four opponents in a row. Although he’s on a roll, that doesn’t mean Pico is going to get ahead of himself. His opponent, Justin Gonzales (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), may see their Bellator 271 matchup Friday as a No. 1 contender bout, but Pico doesn’t feel the same.
“That’s not my job,” Pico told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Not really. ‘I have to win this fight, then I get the title’ – I don’t really think of it like that. Let me get through this guy and we’ll figure out where we go. I think by that statement, he just pulled out of the process. He’s not really focused on this fight – he’s looking too far ahead. Slow your roll and let’s get through this fight first. I’m focused solely on him. I’m not focused on the title, I’m not focused on (the champion). I’m focused on one man, and that’s Justin Gonzales. He’s all I’ve been focused on for the past two months.
“When the time comes and the contract is given to me to fight for the world title, then I’ll start working on being a world champion. But right now, I feel I’m just climbing the ladder. I’m taking it one fight at a time, and we’ll go. I’m staying not too low – right in the middle, and just trying to improve as a fighter. That’s all I’m focused on: cage time and being the best I could possibly be.”
Standing at the top of the division is his former Team Bodyshop teammate A.J. McKee (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA), and just like the newly crowned Bellator featherweight champ had claimed in the past, there’s zero interest in them fighting each other unless it’s for a massive paycheck.
“If it’s for some big money, of course we would fight,” Pico said. “But I respect A.J. I’ve grown up with him since I’ve been a kid. I’m really happy he’s the champion. I’ve called it since the beginning – I said he’s going to be a world champion. But no, I don’t want to fight him. There’s really no need to. There’s a lot more guys for me to fight. For me, I think maybe he’ll go up to 155 (eventually). But right now, I’m just focused on myself. He’s a very, very good fighter and he’s well-coached. Antonio McKee is probably one of the best coaches in the world, so I have a lot of things I need to do before I even get to the title. But we’ll see.”
Bellator 271 takes place Friday at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
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Bellator 271’s Aaron Pico not chasing former teammate A.J. McKee: ‘I don’t want to fight him’