Aaron Pico: Khamzat Chimaev was ‘motivating’ factor in career-best UFC 327 performance

Aaron Pico can finally lay claim to a UFC win and he points to one of the promotion’s best as inspiration. In the lead-up to his highly anticipated duel with fellow former Bellator star Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327, Pico brought in a number of notable names to prepare for the fight, including UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Pico went on to deliver a virtuoso performance against Pitbull to score his first octagon victory and afterwards, he credited Chimaev with helping him take his game to the next level.

“I think Khamzat’s going to win [at UFC 328] and I’m rooting for him,” Pico said speaking to the media backstage at UFC 327. “One thing I like being around Khamzat is he’s just a guy that works hard. He just goes and does his job.

He loves what he does, he’s very intense when he does his workouts. When I’m in there with him, we’re pushing each other, but also, I’ve said it time and time again, he’s a very humble guy. “He’s got a professional team and before I left to this fight I said, ‘Hey Khamzat, can you show me a few positions?

I want to ask you what you do from here,’ and he was really happy to show me and yeah, just a great guy, really cool, and his whole team is just awesome. So it’s motivating to be around him. ” The undefeated Chimaev goes for his first defense of the middleweight title when he fights former champion Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark, N.