Watch: Top prospect Pico loses debut by submission in 24 seconds
Damn, Aaron Pico didn't even make it 30 seconds #BellatorNYC pic.twitter.com/VJTsOCyXcQ
— Nick Breezus 🅴 (@NickBrownHD) June 25, 2017
Pump the brakes on Aaron Pico's ascension to MMA superstardom.
The 20-year-old amateur wrestling star - once described by American Kickboxing Academy head trainer Bob Cook as the greatest MMA prospect he'd ever seen - made his long-awaited professional fighting debut at Bellator NYC on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, and his performance left much to be desired.
Paired up with the more experienced Zach Freeman, a 33-year-old with an 8-2 record, Pico charged in only to eat an uppercut that took his legs out from under him. Freeman immediately dove in for a guillotine choke to secure the submission just 24 seconds into the match.
Suffice to say, Pico's hype train wasn't just derailed. It was derailed, dropped to the bottom of a canyon, and blown up.