Murphy-Pico to co-headline UFC 319 in August

A featherweight bout between Lerone Murphy and Aaron Pico will serve as the co-main event of UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago, the promotion announced Saturday.

Pico, a former Bellator star, will be making his UFC debut. He was scheduled to face Movsar Evloev on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but Evloev withdrew earlier this month due to an injury.

Murphy is coming off a unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett in a UFC main event in April. The 34-year-old Englishman holds a 16-0-1 career record.

Pico is riding a three-fight winning streak, though the 28-year-old hasn't stepped into the cage since a knockout win over Henry Corrales in February 2024.

UFC 319 will be headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.