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Aaron Pico didn't get the opposition he was expecting for his next outing, but he isn't dwelling on it.

Pico is scheduled to meet Losene Keita on the UFC 333 card. Pico was initially set to face Arnold Allen, who couldn't recover from his injuries in time for the bout. Keita is widely regarded as a dangerous opponent for Pico, who is risking his spot on the UFC featherweight rankings.

Allen also isn't the only top-ranked 145-pounder who Pico missed out on fighting. Appearing on MMA Junkie Radio, Pico revealed that former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was another name that had been presented to him, but things didn't pan out.

“It's been a crazy few months, because I thought I was going to fight Aljamain Sterling,†Pico said. “That's the fight that I thought I was going to get, but that didn't go through. So, they told me I was fighting Arnold Allen, and I was really excited. I mean, he's No. 5, and it's one step closer up the rankings, but it doesn't really matter to me to be quite honest with you. What am I even ranked right now, 12 or 13? To be honest with you, I don't even know.

“If I'm not champion, I'm not really focused on that. I'm not really one of those guys that's like, ‘Well, I need to protect my ranking and not fight, or I need to fight this guy.' All that matters to me is to get better, and sitting around and waiting for a ranked guy is not in my agenda. I just want to fight, get experience, and ultimately become a champion. So, whoever they have, I say yes, and I fight.â€

Pico is 1-1 under the UFC banner going into his Oct. 24 showdown with Keita. After being knocked out by Lerrone Murphy in his promotional debut, Pico bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Patricio “Pitbull†Freire.

Do you think Aaron Pico gets past Losene Keita at UFC 333, or does he suffered another setback? Share your prediction in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Darren Till has garnered success in his post-UFC run, but there is one thing that he can't shake even years later.

Till's UFC tenure came to an end after he requested his release to explore other opportunities. He ended his UFC stint on a three-fight skid, but he has turned his luck around. “The Gorilla†has boxing wins over Luke Rockhold, Darren Stewart, and Anthony Taylor. He also nabbed his latest bare-knuckle win over Yoel Romero on the BKFC 94 card this past Saturday.

While Till has carved out his place in combat sports outside of the UFC banner, he does have one regret. Chatting with reporters during the BKFC 94 post-fight presser, Till said that never capturing UFC gold still eats at him (via Bloody Elbow).

“I'm a very honest guy,†Till said. “I'm gonna have a thorn in me for the rest of my life that I didn't win a UFC title. That was my dream. That was my be-all and end-all in life. Me and my team, Team Kaobon, we tried. We were the first out of Liverpool to do it, and we came up short.

“I'll never take that thorn out of me unless I go back to the UFC. My manager doesn't want me to, but one day, who knows? I'm just going through everything now. I'm in bare-knuckle. I've done boxing, and I could go back to pro boxing at some point.â€

As far as what could be next for Till, he's eyeing a grudge match against fellow ex-UFC star Mike Perry. At the moment, Perry is in the process of recovering from a dislocation in a recent MMA bout against Brandon Jenkins. There's no word on when Perry will be medically cleared to return to action.

What do you make of Darren Till reflecting on never winning UFC gold? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Justin Gaethje insists he isn't bothered by Ilia Topuria's cheating claim.

Gaethje stopped Topuria to become the undisputed UFC lightweight titleholder back in June. Topuria was battered to the point where he failed to get off his stool for the final round of the UFC Freedom 250 main event on the White House lawn.

Recently, Topuria accused Gaethje of loading his gloves prior to the fight. Appearing on “One Night with Steiny,†Gaethje said he thinks Topuria's comments boils down to how engagement works these days (via MMAFighting).

“Not really,†Gaethje said. “He's part of your era. You guys say weird shit for fun, dude. … I think the internet's crazy, man. It's clickbait, engagement, we're farming out here. We're farming for interactions. That's what we're doing. More interactions, more eyeballs, more opportunity. … That's the game. I don't like the game but I'm going to have to play the game. I'm going to try and be me when I do it.â€

Gaethje also downplayed the notion that Topuria chose to quit on his stool at the conclusion of their aforementioned title fight.

“He didn't quit on the stool,†Gaethje said. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn't make the call, his coaches made the call because they're there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.â€

While Topuria is hoping for a rematch, Arman Tsarukyan is the general consensus No. 1 contender. Tsarukyan is fresh off a first-round knockout win over Mauricio Ruffy on the UFC 331 card on Sept. 19. Gaethje believes that Tsarukyan has clearly solidified himself as the rightful contender. Whether or not Gaethje vs. Tsarukyan is indeed the plan for 2027 remains to be seen.

Do you think Ilia Topuria's loaded gloves claim was made to garner attention, or is it sour grapes? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM