Patricio Pitbull wants to fight Aaron Pico after UFC 318 in Bellator grudge match: “He couldn’t get to the belt”

Patricio Pitbull has his eyes set on Aaron Pico if he gets past Dan Ige at UFC 318.

Pitbull is set to take on Ige on the main card of UFC 318 in Louisiana on Saturday in a pivotal bout at featherweight. The Brazilian is coming off a disappointing UFC debut loss to Yair Rodriguez.

Although Pitbull is coming off a loss, he’s confident he will be able to get back to form and beat Ige to prove to everyone just how good he is. If he does get past Ige, the former Bellator champion plans to call out Pico for a fight that should have happened in Bellator years ago.

“My focus now is to beat (Ige), but after that, Aaron Pico. We were in Bellator for a long time. I was the champion, but he couldn’t get to the belt. Now we can fight. Next week? Yeah. I’m ready, always ready,” Pitbull said at UFC 318 media day.

A fight between Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico would be highly anticipated, as they were linked to fighting in Bellator, but Pico couldn’t get over the hump to get the title shot.

Patricio Pitbull expecting a ‘violent fight’ against Dan Ige at UFC 318

Although Patricio Pitbull has his eyes set on Aaron Pico, he must first get past Dan Ige on Saturday at UFC 318.

Pitbull is the underdog, but he has confidence that he won’t just beat Ige, but he will be able to finish him to make a statement.

“For sure, (this one) will be a violent fight,” Pitbull said… “He’s a tough guy. He’s the division’s gatekeeper. He separates the good from the great. He’s going to kick down that door… I will be the first to knock him out or submit him.”

Patricio Pitbull is 36-8 and coming off the loss to Rodriguez. He’s the former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion. He has notable wins over A.J. McKee, Michael Chandler, Jeremy Kennedy, and Juan Archuleta, among others.