- The featherweight match between Lerone Murphy and Aaron Pico will co-headline the UFC 319 PPV card.
- The fight will take place inside the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 16.
- Murphy is the +115 betting underdog, and Pico is the -140 betting favorite.
The featherweight clash between No. 6-ranked Lerone Murphy and former Bellator standout Aaron Pico will be the co-headliner of the UFC 319 PPV card on Aug. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.
Muprhy may be the ranked contender among the two, but he’s the betting underdog with +115 UFC odds, while Pico, the UFC newcomer who will make his octagon debut, is going to be the -140 betting favorite.
UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico Odds
- Lerone Murphy: +115
- Aaron Pico: -140
UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico: Prediction
I predict a unanimous decision win for Pico over Murphy because of his more well-rounded skill set. Pico has a solid background in wrestling and boxing, having competed in Olympic trials for the USA team and been a former national Golden Glove winner.
This complete MMA arsenal could give Murphy problems since he hasn’t fought a fighter like Pico with this type of caliber in his UFC career. Add the fact that he’s a short-notice replacement and didn’t have a whole training camp for his preparation.
The best route to victory for Pico is to utilize his wrestling background and take Murphy down to drain significant energy from him and nullify the 3-inch reach and 2-inch height advantage of “The Miracle.”
Another factor to consider in this match is that Murphy hasn’t fought a contender in the featherweight division’s current top five rankings, which is why I think that the complete striking and grappling skills of Pico would present problems for him.
Lerone Murphy’s Recent Fight Results
Murphy is still an undefeated featherweight contender who’s fresh off a unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett last April in the main event of UFC Fight Night inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas. He’s a replacement fighter for this fight after Movsar Evloev withdrew due to injury.
Before his latest triumph, he scored wins over Ricardo Ramos, Douglas Silva de Andrade, Makwan Amirkhani, Gabriel Santos, Josh Culibao, Edson Barboza, and Dan Ige. His first fight in the octagon ended in a draw with Zubaira Tukhugov in September 2019.
Aaron Pico’s Recent Fight Results
Pico was a former wrestling standout in high school before he decided to become a professional MMA fighter in 2015 and signed with Bellator. His first pro fight ended in a loss at the hands of Zach Freeman with a first-round guillotine choke.
However, he was able to bounce back and win 13 of his next 16 fights, establishing himself as a top name in the sport. Before he signed with the UFC earlier this year, Pico had a three-fight win streak in Bellator with wins over James Gonzalez, Pedro Carvalho, and Henry Corrales.
UFC 319: Murphy vs. Pico: Tale of the Tape
| Lerone Muprhy | Aaron Pico | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 34 | 28 |
| Height | 5’9” | 5’8” |
| Reach | 73.5 inches | 70.5 inches |
| Leg Reach | 39 inches | 38 inches |
| Record | 16-0 | 13-4 |
| Fighting Style | Kickboxer | Striker |
| Finishing Rate | 44% | 85% |
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