Patricio Freire hopes Pico trained defense ahead of UFC 327
MIAMI – Patricio Freire says Aaron Pico's changes won't save his chin. Former Bellator standouts Freire (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Pico (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) square off in Saturday's featured prelim at Kaseya Center ( Paramount+ ). Pico was knocked out cold in his UFC debut against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in August.
Pico said the loss left him really embarrassed , and has since been working on making some changes. He was asked about Freire calling his chin a fatal flaw , and responded by saying "Pitbull" won't be able to hit him. "I'm ready for whatever kind of Aaron Pico shows up in there," Freire told MMA Junkie and other reporters at media day through an interpreter.
"Maybe he'll be more cautious because he got knocked out. Maybe he's going to go in there and just want to brawl. I'm prepared for whatever version.
... I hope he trained a lot of defense because he usually doesn't defend sh*t. " So which version of Pico is Freire expecting?
"Usually when he gets knocked out, he comes back and he's more of a grappler," Freire said. "I have to take into consideration what he's saying and be ready for him to have reinvented himself, but at this point, he's been knocked out what, four or five times? " This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Patricio Freire on Aaron Pico's reinvention: 'He doesn't defend sh*t'