Pico Updates?

[NJWC 305]

Are you kidding? He walked into two stiff jabs, had zero head/shoulder movement, and has taken shots from two stiffs so far in two fights.

[fanta 39]

Are you kidding? He walked into two stiff jabs, had zero head/shoulder movement, and has taken shots from two stiffs so far in two fights.

 

You must not understand that taking a punch is more important than giving one.  Taking a punch and still being relaxed means:

 

1. Your blood pressure hasn't risen

2. Your heart rate is under control

3. Your nervous energy is under control

 

Those three things are important in taking a punch and returning one in the pocket.  Amateur fighters or "newbies" are terrified of getting hit.  They move their head so much, their fear shines through.  Either that or they get punched and return fire at the wrong time, thus setting themselves up to be knocked out.

 

Most guys look great on pads, and can slip and bob and weave great with a coach.  But when the bullets are flying it's a different story.  

 

Look at the way Pico slipped that right cross and delivered the left hook - it was a thing of beauty.

 

Many on here can't wait to criticize him- it's so SAD!!!

Edited September 24, 2017 by fanta

[Plasmodium 1,011]

I haven't seen anything sad here. He is a pro and people are offering their opinion. Nothing malicious. He should not be eating punches from this opponent.

[NJWC 305]

You must not understand that taking a punch is more important than giving one. Taking a punch and still being relaxed means:

 

1. Your blood pressure hasn't risen

2. Your heart rate is under control

3. Your nervous energy is under control

 

Those three things are important in taking a punch and returning one in the pocket. Amateur fighters or "newbies" are terrified of getting hit. They move their head so much, their fear shines through. Either that or they get punched and return fire at the wrong time, thus setting themselves up to be knocked out.

 

Most guys look great on pads, and can slip and bob and weave great with a coach. But when the bullets are flying it's a different story.

 

Look at the way Pico slipped that right cross and delivered the left hook - it was a thing of beauty.

 

Many on here can't wait to criticize him- it's so SAD!!!

That first jab, from a guy that should be washing cars, sure got Pico's attention.

Everyone but you sees the same thing. No head movement, easy target. He has had two fights, against borderline amateur level competition, and been hit cleanly in both multiple times.

[2td3nf 448]

I thought Pico absolutely destroyed this guy.

[Billyhoyle 1,618]

Pico seems to have absolutely no power behind his punches.  That combined with him having a questionable chin is a bad combination for his career prospects.  He reminds me of Jake Rosholt. Great wrestler, but a liability to get KOed with little chance of KOing the other guy. 

 

He's still young though, so he still has time to develop.  He probably should have stayed amateur longer though.  

Edited September 24, 2017 by Billyhoyle

[nyum 169]

Pico seems to have absolutely no power behind his punches.  That combined with him having a questionable chin is a bad combination for his career prospects.  He reminds me of Jake Rosholt. Great wrestler, but a liability to get KOed with little chance of KOing the other guy. 

 

He's still young though, so he still has time to develop.  He probably should have stayed amateur longer though.  

 

No power behind his punches? Did we watch the same fight?

[Cletus_Tucker 888]

Pico seems to have absolutely no power behind his punches.  That combined with him having a questionable chin is a bad combination for his career prospects.  He reminds me of Jake Rosholt. Great wrestler, but a liability to get KOed with little chance of KOing the other guy. 

 

He's still young though, so he still has time to develop.  He probably should have stayed amateur longer though.  

 

 

Lol

 

None, the guy was sleeping center cage because he was tired from the previous night, not from the crushing shot Pico starched him with.        If Pico has anything, it's power.     He hit a little shoe shine style blitzkrieg for excitement early on and I know everyone in my living room loved it, but because the guy didn't fold he has no power?    

 

 

fanta it is good to see there's at least one member of this board who understands the sweet science and MMA in general.   

[Billyhoyle 1,618]

Lol

 

None, the guy was sleeping center cage because he was tired from the previous night, not from the crushing shot Pico starched him with.        If Pico has anything, it's power.     He hit a little shoe shine style blitzkrieg for excitement early on and I know everyone in my living room loved it, but because the guy didn't fold he has no power?    

 

 

fanta it is good to see there's at least one member of this board who understands the sweet science and MMA in general.   

The bomb that hit at the end had a ton of power behind it, but I think his opponent was already gassed. The majority of his shots seemed ineffective. We'll see when he starts facing elite competition.  

[Cletus_Tucker 888]

BillyHoyle - that wasn't a bomb.  It was a short, compact hook that he fired off almost effortlessly.   It was precision and it was about as technically sound as can be.  He showed power in a compact space.  that's legit boxing power.   He got the fist vertical from the hook position, just as my late boxing trainer taught me years and years ago.  It's the first thing I noticed on the replay.  The technique, coupled with the power is what turned the man's lights out.     Anyone can wind up and throw a power over hand.  Pico fired from the shoulder and smashed the guy's consciousness.      I was impressed. 

 

I'd like to see a bit more head movement and ring generalship (movement, feints, levels, etc.).    

[CA_Wrestler 194]

Glad to see he won that match and also really glad to see that he trained for this one at Team Bodyshop with long, long time wrestling pal(and frequenter of Monster Garage with Pico and the Valencias), Joey Davis.

[BigBrog 43]

Man....people love to hate don't they?  Oh wait...they disguise it as "giving and opinion".  Pico knocked the guy the f#$& out!  But it wasn't good enough for people to say, hey nice job Aaron?!?  Some of you on here need to get off the internet in live in reality for awhile.

[Plasmodium 1,011]

Man....people love to hate don't they?  Oh wait...they disguise it as "giving and opinion".  Pico knocked the guy the f#$& out!  But it wasn't good enough for people to say, hey nice job Aaron?!?  Some of you on here need to get off the internet in live in reality for awhile.

LOL

[GranbyTroll 377]

He fought at 145? What about all that speculation that he'd never see 65kg (143) again? Not being sarcastic, just wondering if those predictions were unfounded, or if Pico changed his training regime after getting iced at 155. 

[CA_Wrestler 194]

He fought at 145? What about all that speculation that he'd never see 65kg (143) again? Not being sarcastic, just wondering if those predictions were unfounded, or if Pico changed his training regime after getting iced at 155. 

Pico's walk around weight is barely 155.  Going against guys who are at 155, but cutting from maybe 160-170 isn't a good idea.

[maolsen 94]

That first jab, from a guy that should be washing cars, sure got Pico's attention.

Everyone but you sees the same thing. No head movement, easy target. He has had two fights, against borderline amateur level competition, and been hit cleanly in both multiple times.

two 10 pro fight fighters with winning records equal borderline amateur level? What? In all honesty his first two fights should have been against guys with losing records or maybe barely a winning record. You guys are being way to critical of a fighter with only 2 fights under his belt, and he won, by ko. Also I would hope that former UFC champ Frankie Edgar could handle a 1 and 1 fighter. if not, it would not bode well for Edgars career. Edited September 25, 2017 by maolsen

[wrestlingnerd 2,251]

Whoever says Pico doesn't have good hands--far superior to that of a relatively untrained wrestler--knows next to nothing about boxing. Pico has excellent punching technique. That left hook he won the fight with was hellacious. You could hear the pop of a perfectly landed power shot from a mile away. 

 

I admit to being surprised by his lack of boxing defense given his background, and that is one area he needs to work on for sure, but his punching is superb, especially for a guy with only 2 pro fights under his belt.

Edited September 25, 2017 by wrestlingnerd

[Cletus_Tucker 888]

^^^It jumps right out if you know boxing.   His hands are very polished already.    The hook was almost an arm punch.   He hardly leaned into it.   Just let it go and it detonated on the chin.    That was scary.   

[sgallan 592]

Lack of defense and a weak chin is usually a really bad combination. You cannot coach a good chin, just try not to get hit much. He would be best served going the common wrestler route of good defense, some kicks, he already has enough striking skills to keep them honest, work stand up until he can get it to ground. If he wants to be a strike he is going to be an unconscience striker. Key take away, you are born with a chin. He doesn't seem to be.

[PSUMike 426]

I'm surprised at how easily he gets hit.  For a guy with his extensive striking background, fighting low end MMA guys, he sure doesn't look super polished on his feet.  Strong kid, athletic...but nowhere near elite level MMA at this point.

A guy like Edgar would take him apart.

 

Wait, so you mean one of the best fighters ever would pick apart a 21 year old with 2 pro fights? 

 

I wish stupidity was painful.

[PSUMike 426]

So I am almost as big of an MMA fan as I am of wrestling. Been pretty closely following the sport since 04-05ish. Some brief thoughts on Pico and what he's shown thus far in terms of development:

 

1. Take a step back and remember he's 21 years old with 2 professional fights, both against guys with far more experience than he has. 

2. Virtually every fighter's 2nd fight is in a regional promotion against a no name fighter with a 0-1 or 1-0 record. 

3. He has a ton of power and fast hands. The counter left hook he landed was not only powerful but lightning fast.

4. Yes, he eats too many shots. This should be expected for someone at his stage of development. 

5. Yes, he's a little over-aggressive but it was tempered more in this fight than his previous. 

6. I am more concerned with his seeming lack of a submission offense than his striking defense. He had Linn on the mat for a decent amount of time and was content to punch while never actually looking to lock something in. I'd like to see a mixture of both. 

7. 145 is much better suited for his frame. He looked to be a good sized FW while he was a small LW. 

8. Energy conservation is something he'll need to work on. You see a lot of talented young fighters punch themselves out in the 1st only to gas in the 2nd and get finished in the 3rd by someone they are much more skilled than. His flurry against the cage looked pretty but was largely ineffective. 

9. Compared to Ed Ruth at his 2nd fight, Pico is very far more developed as a complete MMA fighter. 

 

I like what I see and I did see improvement. Yes, he has a ways to go before he's ready for the top 20 of the game but he has plenty of time to develop and hone his skills. 

[BigTenFanboy 1,513]

So I am almost as big of an MMA fan as I am of wrestling. Been pretty closely following the sport since 04-05ish. Some brief thoughts on Pico and what he's shown thus far in terms of development:

 

1. Take a step back and remember he's 21 years old with 2 professional fights, both against guys with far more experience than he has. 

2. Virtually every fighter's 2nd fight is in a regional promotion against a no name fighter with a 0-1 or 1-0 record. 

3. He has a ton of power and fast hands. The counter left hook he landed was not only powerful but lightning fast.

4. Yes, he eats too many shots. This should be expected for someone at his stage of development. 

5. Yes, he's a little over-aggressive but it was tempered more in this fight than his previous. 

6. I am more concerned with his seeming lack of a submission offense than his striking defense. He had Linn on the mat for a decent amount of time and was content to punch while never actually looking to lock something in. I'd like to see a mixture of both. 

7. 145 is much better suited for his frame. He looked to be a good sized FW while he was a small LW. 

8. Energy conservation is something he'll need to work on. You see a lot of talented young fighters punch themselves out in the 1st only to gas in the 2nd and get finished in the 3rd by someone they are much more skilled than. His flurry against the cage looked pretty but was largely ineffective. 

9. Compared to Ed Ruth at his 2nd fight, Pico is very far more developed as a complete MMA fighter. 

 

I like what I see and I did see improvement. Yes, he has a ways to go before he's ready for the top 20 of the game but he has plenty of time to develop and hone his skills. 

 

I agree with everything you've written here. My only concern with Pico is whether he stays in the game for the long haul. Every level he's competed in he's jumped in, created a storm and then jumped out pretty quick. His HS career was 1 season. His international career was over before he was 21. While yes I get that he had "bigger goals" to accomplish, I just hope to see him commit and stay with this for the long haul. IMO he has the potential to be the best in the world.

[wrestlingnerd 2,251]

I agree with everything you've written here. My only concern with Pico is whether he stays in the game for the long haul. Every level he's competed in he's jumped in, created a storm and then jumped out pretty quick. His HS career was 1 season. His international career was over before he was 21. While yes I get that he had "bigger goals" to accomplish, I just hope to see him commit and stay with this for the long haul. IMO he has the potential to be the best in the world.

 

That's because MMA was always the ultimate goal, and wrestling was merely a bridge to that goal. Now that he's doing what he always iintended, I see him sticking around for the long haul. His post-fight interview confirmed this intent. He said he is going to stay patient and "in his lane", developing slowly until he becomes a world champ. 

[mspart 142]

Yeah, that strike was pretty brutal.  I only saw that punch really.  Decked the guy hard.  I figured he get the guy on the ground and submit him for a win.  That left hook is dangerous and came from nowhere.  Tough to see until is it slowed down. 

 

mspart

[Frank_Rizzo 289]

Pico seems to have absolutely no power behind his punches.