Aaron Pico Blasts Losene Keita in 74 Seconds at UFC 333

Aaron Pico needed 74 seconds to turn a dangerous featherweight matchup into his cleanest UFC result yet.

Pico stopped Losene Keita at 1:14 of the first round Saturday at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. He opened with his wrestling, put Keita on the mat and forced him to work back to his feet. Then came the punch that ended it: a right hand dropped Keita, and Pico followed him down with enough shots to bring the referee in.

The UFC lists the finish as a first-round KO/TKO. Pico improved to 15-5 overall and 2-1 in the UFC. Keita fell to 17-3.

The wrestling opened the door

The speed of the finish will grab attention, but the opening takedown mattered. Keita had to respect Pico's level change almost immediately. When the fight returned to the feet, Pico did not chase another long grappling exchange. He found the right hand and committed to the finish.

That is the problem Pico presents when both halves of his game are working. His wrestling can force rushed reactions, while his punching punishes the moment an opponent worries too much about his hips. Keita never had time to settle into his own offense.

Pico wants the title path

Pico used his post-fight interview to ask for a featherweight title opportunity. He offered a second option if the UFC is not ready to move him that far: a rematch with Lerone Murphy, who stopped Pico in his UFC debut in 2025.

"I want to fight for a title, but if that can't happen, I want a rematch with Lerone Murphy," Pico said in the cage, as reported by MMA Junkie.

A title fight may be a big ask after three UFC appearances. A ranked opponent is not. Pico just erased Keita in barely more than a minute, and he did it by making the threat of one weapon create the opening for another. That should earn him a serious step up, whether it is Murphy or somebody else near the top of the division.