Overview

• Aaron Pico will make his UFC debut against undefeated Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of UFC 319 at Chicago’s United Center on August 16
• Major sportsbooks list Pico as a slight favorite with odds shifting from roughly –150 to –185 while Murphy carries underdog status after stepping in for Movsar Evloev
• Murphy seized the short-notice opportunity with a 16-0-1 professional record and recent wins over Josh Emmett, Dan Ige and Edson Barboza
• Both fighters have cast the matchup as a potential title eliminator, with Pico targeting champion Alexander Volkanovski and Murphy vowing to finish the bout
• Alexander Volkanovski has publicly downplayed Pico’s immediate threat, predicting he would “crumb le” the debutant in the wrestling department if given the chance