Pico to face Lee Morrison at Bellator 199
As per usual, Aaron Pico's next dance partner boasts far more experience than he does.
The highly touted featherweight prospect will face 27-fight veteran Lee Morrison on the main card of Bellator 199 on May 12 at SAP Center in San Jose, an official told theScore on Tuesday after MMAjunkie's Steven Marrocco first reported the matchup.
Pico's long-awaited MMA debut proved a 24-second disaster capped by a guillotine choke courtesy of Zach Freeman at Bellator NYC in June, but the 21-year-old has since emphatically rebounded with first-round knockouts of seasoned vets Justin Linn and Shane Kruchten at Bellator 183 and 192, respectively.
Morrison - 11 years Pico's senior - makes his first walk to the Bellator cage on a four-fight win streak, with every one of those victories coming against opposition with records well below the .500 mark. The Washington native has competed under the King of the Cage and M-1 banners, among others, and meets Pico with a pro slate of 19-8.
Bellator 199's updated main card is now as follows:
- Heavyweight Grand Prix Bout: Ryan Bader vs. Muahmmed "King Mo" Lawal
- Welterweight Bout: Jon Fitch vs. Paul Daley
- Heavyweight Bout: Cheick Kongo vs. Javy Ayala
- Featherweight Bout: Aaron Pico vs. Lee Morrison