Overview
- Pico opened the UFC 333 main card at Etihad Arena and finished Losene Keita by TKO at 1:14 of Round 1 on Saturday, delivering his first stoppage inside the Octagon.
- The sequence began with an early single-leg takedown, then a straight right that wobbled Keita and follow-up ground-and-pound that forced the referee to stop the fight.
- Keita had taken the bout on short notice as a replacement for Arnold Allen, meaning he arrived without a full camp tailored to Pico’s wrestling-centric style.
- After the win Pico called for higher-ranked opponents and a rematch with Lerone Murphy, arguing ranked fighters who avoid him should be punished and pressing his case for a climb in the division.
- The referee’s early stoppage drew social-media criticism and debate over whether Keita was given enough time to recover, a controversy that could prompt closer scrutiny of officiating in upcoming events.