Aaron Pico used to practice being interviewed by Joe Rogan, but that preparation was not needed at UFC 327.
The former Bellator fighter entered the winner’s circle in the UFC for the first time last Saturday, bouncing back from a disastrous debut in impressive fashion.
Eight months after Pico was knocked out by Lerone Murphy in Chicago, the 29-year-old got the better of mixed martial arts legend Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in Miami.
But while he had his hand raised in ‘The Magic City’, Pico did not get everything he had hoped for.
LATEST NEWS: Canceled UFC Winnipeg fight could be saved as contender offers to ‘fly in’ on one day’s notice
Aaron Pico was disappointed Donald Trump’s walkout took away his mic time with Joe Rogan
Before his Octagon debut at UFC 319, Pico revealed he’d practiced his Joe Rogan interviews in the car ahead of his plan to make it to MMA’s leading promotion.
The defeat to Murphy stalled his plans to make his dream interview a reality, but even a victory in the featured prelim on April 11 was not enough to book Pico some mic time with the color commentator.
He reacted to that snub during a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, noting that United States President Donald Trump’s walkout before the main card was given priority.
“I was really looking forward to that,” Pico said about an interview with Rogan. “Like you said, it’s something that I’ve practiced and would obviously think about a lot.
“Joe Rogan is a legend, especially in this sport. Yeah, I was out there and I was like, ‘Man, where’s the interview?!’ They’re like, ‘You’re not doing an interview.’
“Then it made sense, the president wanted to walk out. I was like, ‘Perfect timing.’ But it is what it is,” he added.
LATEST NEWS: Valentina Shevchenko disagrees with Kayla Harrison on Rousey vs Carano: ‘Technique stays forever’
Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
Trump sat cageside at UFC 327 having missed last November’s Madison Square Garden event, which he usually attends.
The Miami card was the first he’d been at since UFC 316 in Newark last June, and it also marked his first time attending a major sporting event since the start of the Iran war.
2026-04-17 17:00:00
