Overview

• The UFC officially confirmed Pico vs. Murphy as the co-main event for the August 16 card in Chicago, replacing injured Movsar Evloev.
• Murphy enters on a 16-0-1 run and stepped up on short notice to maintain his unbeaten UFC streak.
• Pico will make his long-awaited UFC debut after leaving Bellator as one of MMA’s most heralded prospects.
• The outcome will influence the featherweight contender rankings as champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next defense remains unbooked.
• Murphy has climbed to sixth in the division with wins over Josh Emmett, Dan Ige and Edson Barboza, and the winner could earn a swift title shot.