Overview

• Pico will make his co-main event debut at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16 after his originally booked opponent, Movsar Evloev, withdrew.
• At media day Pico countered Volkanovski’s claim that he’d “mop the floor” with a promise that “your time is coming.”
• His training camp features JacksonWink MMA coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach in his corner and reported work with Jon Jones’s circle.
• Murphy arrives unbeaten at 16-0-1 and views Saturday’s bout as a number one contender fight that should guarantee him a title shot if he wins.
• Pico’s 13-4 professional record from Bellator and PFL and a personal motivator—the quip from his four-year-old son calling him “finally a professional”—underscore his determination.