Patricio Pitbull's conqueror reveals his mindset before UFC 327: 'My job was on the line'

Pico defeated Pitbull in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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After a difficult start in the world's biggest MMA event, Aaron Pico silenced his critics with a big win against Patrick Pitbull on the preliminary card of UFC 327. Still reaping the rewards from the victory, the American acknowledged the enormous pressure suffered before the confrontation with the Brazilian in an interview with the website 'MMA Fighting' this Wednesday (22).

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According to the fighter, who was brutally knocked out by Lerone murphy Even in the first round during his Ultimate debut, there was a real risk of being fired by the UFC if he didn't manage to win against the former Bellator champion.

“For sure, it was a mandatory victory. My job was on the line. That’s how I felt. I try not to think about it too much. Of course, I had my difficult days. As I always say, I’m human, so sometimes we tend to overthink. Sometimes I think that’s my problem. I need to live a little more and not overthink. But yes, it’s scary to think that if I lost this fight, I could be fired. You never know. That was never said to me, so I was just speculating. Maybe I didn’t need to do this, but yes, I needed to win. That’s the main issue,” he stated.

Aaron Pico believes his 'job was on the line' at #UFC327.

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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 22, 2026

Before beating Pitbull, Pico had a difficult debut.

Aaron Pico debuted with a loss at UFC 319. Photo: Reproduction/UFC

Looking back at the tough match against Murphy, Pico compared the mental state he was in when he approached both fights, and how that may have influenced his performance in both bouts.

“Sometimes you feel the pressure, but I can honestly say that, in the week of the fight, I was having a lot of fun. My team was there. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The weight cut was very, very easy, and I said to myself before stepping into the octagon: ‘The worst thing that ever happened to me in the UFC. I was in one of the biggest events of the year, I got knocked out in front of probably millions of people watching, and I was very tense before the fight.’ So, next time, when you step into that octagon in a few hours, let it flow. Do exactly what you trained for, do it in the octagon, and enjoy it.’ I wish I had said that to myself earlier in my career,” he concluded.