Bellator Prospect Aaron Pico Moves Training Camp to Jackson-Wink MMA

Highly-touted Bellator prospect Aaron Pico has relocated to the Land of Enchantment, where he will train at Jackson-Wink MMA for his next camp.

Sherdog.com confirmed the move with gym general manager Michael Lyubimov following a report from ESPN.com. Jackson-Wink striking coach Brandon Gibson also recently posted a picture with Pico following a workout at the Albuquerque, N.M.-based gym.

Solid work tonight with @AaronPicoUSA at @JacksonWinkMMA. pic.twitter.com/Nc9w2EfYtS

— Brandon Gibson (@SixGunGibson) May 1, 2019

Pico has reportedly been targeted to appear at Bellator 222 in New York on June 14, although an opponent has not been named. However, a promotion official was unable to confirm that Pico’s next bout will take place at the Madison Square Garden event.

Pico entered his MMA career as one of the most hyped prospects the sport has seen in recent years. An Olympic hopeful who nearly qualified for the 2016 Games as a wrestler and a national Golden Gloves champion boxer, Pico signed with Bellator years before making his debut.

Up until now, his training has been based primarily in California. Early on, he worked at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., where coach Bob Cook called him the greatest prospect he’s ever seen.

Since then, Pico has trained primarily under Antonio McKee at Team Bodyshop in Lakewood, Calif., alongside the likes of A.J. McKee, Joey Davis and Kevin Ferguson Jr. He also supplemented his training with boxing coach Freddie Roach while doing strength and conditioning at The Treigning Lab.

Pico made his MMA debut at Bellator 180, where he suffered a shocking 24-second submission loss to Zach Freeman in June 2017. He rebounded to post four consecutive first-round KO/TKO finishes before falling to Henry Corrales via first-round knockout in his most recent outing at Bellator 214.