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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 16: Aaron Pico of the United States looks on prior to his featherweight bout in UFC 319 at the United Center on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) Getty
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Aaron Pico of the United States,(R), punches Patricio Pitbull of Brazil in a featherweight bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Getty
Aaron Pico will have a massive opportunity when he faces Arnold Allen at UFC 333. The event takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24.
Allen is currently the No. 5 ranked UFC featherweight and a has been a fixture in the top-10 for years. The featherweight clash was made official during the UFC 330 broadcast. It will carry high stakes, as the winner can push closer to a featherweight title shot.
Pico will hope to capitalize on this second opportunity against a top contender. He made his UFC debut with plenty of buzz around him after his strong tenure in Bellator. As a result, he was immediately matched up with top contender Lerone Murphy.
Despite having some early success, that bout did not end well for Pico. He was on the receiving end of a vicious knockout loss after getting caught with a spinning back elbow.
Aaron Pico Carrying Momentum into UFC 333 Clash with Arnold Allen
Getty MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 11: Aaron Pico of the United States,(R), punches Patricio Pitbull of Brazil in a featherweight bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Aaron Pico will be carrying plenty of momentum into his UFC 333 clash against Arnold Allen . He has now competed in the octagon twice as opposed to when he debuted.
Pico enters the fight after earning his first UFC win in which he secured a unanimous decision over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327. It was a significant win for him as he had been pushing that bout for years. Pitbull was the reigning Bellator featherweight champion when Pico competed in the promotion but a bout never materialized.
Now, Pico aims to use that momentum and experience to his advantage. He was much more composed and strategic when he fought Pitbull. That could bode well for him, particularly in striking exchanges, where he tended to get too overzealous.
Pico has stayed busy since his win over Pitbull in April. He returning to his wrestling roots with Real American Freestlye , where he earned a victory over Lance Palmer at RAF 10 .
Can Pico Earn a Title Shot with a Win over Allen?
Given the current landscape of the featherweight division, Pico being fast-tracked to a title shot with a win is not far-fetched. Alexander Volkanovski is set defend his title against Movsar Evloev on the same card.
Depending on what transpires in the main event, the division could possibly be in for a shake up. No. 2 ranked UFC featherweight Diego Lopez recently moved up to lightweight. Meanwhile, No. 3 ranked Lerone Murphy is coming off the first loss of his career to Evloev.
That only leaves No. 4 ranked Aljamain Sterling ahead of Allen. The former bantamweight champion has won two straight fights against former title challenger Brian Ortega and surging contender Youssef Zalal.
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