Aaron Pico utilized a concoction of brutal body punches and heavy wrestling to get back in the win column Saturday at Bellator 295.
If it wasn’t for the toughness of opponent James Gonzalez, the judges wouldn’t have had much work to do. Pico (11-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) defeated Gonzalez (10-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) handily by unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 across the board.
Pico unleashed big hooks to the body and head throughout the opening round. He remained patient as Gonzalez intermittently countered with short standing elbows that snuck through the guard. Pico utilized the clinch and cagework in between combinations.
In Round 2, Pico went to his wrestling. Heavy on the canvas, Pico was able to control Gonzalez. The threat of the wrestling was there for the remainder of the fight, as Pico used it to open up his striking even more.
👀 @AaronPicoUSA is an animal with these body shots.#Bellator295 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/k8LiJETium
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 23, 2023
Pico hasn’t had a linear path toward his current position as a top featherweight contender in Bellator. Since his professional debut, Pico has had his ups and downs. But since January 2020, Pico has only lost once – and it was in his previous fight before Saturday night and it was a TKO due to shoulder injury against Jeremy Kennedy.
Gonzalez was a short-notice replacement who filled in for Otto Rodrigues. A member of Longo and Weidman MMA, Gonzalez found some big promotion success with a win over Cody Law in Bellator and a victory over Vikas Singh Ruhil in PFL Challenger Series before Saturday’s fight snapped the two-fight winning streak.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 295 results include:
- Aaron Pico def. James Gonzalez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Mads Burnell def. Justin Gonzales via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kai Kamaka def. Adli Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Sumiko Inaba def. Veta Arteaga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Aalon Cruz def. Bobby King via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Davion Franklin def. Kasim Aras via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bruna Ellen def. Ilara Joanne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Masayuki Kikuiri def. Alexey Shurkevich via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 4:33
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.
