Aaron Pico Swaps Arnold Allen for Losene Keita at UFC 333

Aaron Pico will face unranked prospect Losene Keita at UFC 333 after a late opponent change knocked out his original matchup with perennial top-10 featherweight Arnold Allen.

Pico, ranked No. 12 at featherweight, says he accepted the swap without hesitation. Allen was pulled from the card and replaced by Keita, who is coming off his first UFC win. Rather than push back on taking a lower-ranked foe, the former Bellator standout framed it as just another step on the way to a title shot.

Why Pico Took the Fight Anyway

Aaron Pico says ranking matchups mean less to him than proving he can beat anyone the UFC puts in front of him. "I just roll with the punches," Pico told MMA Fighting. "All I'm focused on is being a champion. So whoever I have to fight." He contrasted himself with fighters who protect their ranking by only taking favorable matchups, saying a champion doesn't get to pick soft opposition once the belt is on the line, so he'd rather build that habit now. Pico also made clear he isn't sleeping on Keita, noting that "there's always a puncher's chance" no matter who's across the cage, a lesson he says he learned the hard way from his own past losses.

Betting Angle

Swapping a ranked veteran like Arnold Allen for an unranked, first-fight winner in Losene Keita typically shifts a betting line hard toward the more experienced fighter, and Pico's résumé and power at featherweight should make him a clear favorite here. For bettors, the real value question is whether the market overcorrects given Keita's relative inexperience against a dangerous finisher, or whether Pico's own history of getting caught (he openly references his past losses) keeps the number more honest than it looks on paper. Worth tracking line movement in the days leading into UFC 333, since a short-notice opponent change like this can create early inefficiencies before oddsmakers settle in.

Pico is also fighting on a card headlined by Alexander Volkanovski's featherweight title defense against Movsar Evloev, a matchup Pico says he's watching closely given his own ambitions at 145 pounds. "He's the best featherweight of all time," Pico said of Volkanovski. "I would love to fight for the title, but I'm just solely focused on this guy."

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Aaron Pico fighting at UFC 333?

Aaron Pico is fighting unranked prospect Losene Keita at UFC 333 after his original opponent, Arnold Allen, was pulled from the card.

Why did Aaron Pico's opponent change for UFC 333?

Arnold Allen, a perennial top-10 featherweight, was replaced by Losene Keita, who is coming off his first UFC win, and Pico accepted the new matchup immediately.

What else is happening at UFC 333?

UFC 333 is headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against Movsar Evloev.