Bellator NYC – Pico v. Freeman (MyMMANews.com)

Bellator NYC is almost here. The company has risen to become one of the premier MMA companies in the world. They have former fighters from the UFC, boxing and all over the world. This Saturday’s card at Madison Square Garden is looking to be one of the best fans have seen in quite some time. Bellator MMA is banking on several stars succeeding. Two individuals facing off against one another will be doing whatever it takes to outshine everyone. 

It’s a duel between a Young Gun and an Average Joe. Those two are Aaron Pico and Zach Freeman.

Aaron Pico is 20-years old and is the most highly-touted prospect in MMA history. He was signed to Bellator at age 18, and his stock has been rising even without an official fight to his name. A former wrestler, boxer and Olympian, Pico will make his MMA debut at Bellator NYC. Pico is not nervous, however, he is more than ready. Some even compare him to one of the best MMA fighters out there in B.J. Penn. It will definitely be interesting to see how a multi-fight athlete will fair in his debut in the world of mixed martial arts. 

On the other side of the octagon, you have Zach Freeman. The 33-year old Freeman (8-2 MMA record) has turned into my favorite fighter on this stacked Bellator card. He stole the show during the Bellator NYC press conference yesterday afternoon, especially with some surprising facts. He has a day job selling floor-to-ceiling wall systems for various companies, including Bellator parent company Viacom. While determined during the press conference, Freeman discussed the difficulties surrounding his current situation compared to most fighters. He stated:

“I’m the only guy, I think, up here with a day job. Balancing that on top of training for this fight is not too easy. But I’m definitely putting all the work into it that I could to make sure I preform on Saturday night.”

It is shocking to hear that Freeman doesn’t get promoted that often. He has the task of figuring out the young Pico, and the opportunity for both should be a high honor. These two aren’t competing on the Bellator 180 card on Spike, but on the main Bellator 180 card that will be on PPV. What a way to try and impress the world. 

It will truly be an unpredictable fight. Freeman has won 63% of his matches via submission. While Freeman will try and take Pico down, the young fighter will look to do the same thanks to his background. Freeman must also look out for Pico’s kickboxing experience. This may be the one match on the card worth watching just on unpredictability alone.

Is Bellator taking a gamble with a bout like this? Yes! Are we still going to watch? Yes! By the end of the night, the bout between these two fighters may very well be best for business.