Aaron Pico wants his freedom, and if that requires him to sit out for another year in the prime of his career, then that’s exactly what he’s going to do.
The highly touted featherweight contender just recently reached the end of his contract with the PFL to become a free agent, but the promotion maintains matching rights. That means if Pico ultimately signs with the UFC, which is where he wants to do, the PFL could match that offer, and he would be required to go back there instead.
On Tuesday, PFL co-founder Donn Davis responded to Pico’s pleas for his full release by confirming that the organization is holding onto those matching rights with no plans to waive that part of his contract.
“Love Aaron Pico, rising star fighter and great person,” Davis wrote on Twitter. “To be clear, PFL is not holding him back. Pico as [a] free agent can sign today with UFC and then PFL can decide whether to match [the] offer. That is [the] standard MMA contract Pico signed and how [the] MMA industry works.”
Aaron Pico responds to PFL co-founder Donn Davis: ‘I’m not fighting for the PFL, if I have to wait out a year … then I’ll do it’
Aaron Pico makes it clear that he’s not returning to the PFL and it requires him to sit out for another year to wait for the promotion’s matching rights to expire, then that’s exactly what he’s going to do.
