Eighteen-year-old wrestler Aaron Pico has joined the roster of Bellator MMA, which is calling the young athlete "MMA's Greatest Prospect."
The deal was made this past weekend, Bellator 131, which aired on Spike TV and featured Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar in the main event, according to MMAmania.com. Pico's accomplishments as a wrestler include being a former Junior Golden Gloves Champion and winning a FILA World Championship, and he is currently looking to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The young man said in an interview this week that he always talks with his family, his management team and the people he trusts the most when thinking about making decisions as big as signing with Bellator.
"We wanted an opportunity to achieve my dreams in the 2016 Olympics and transition into MMA, and when we sat down with Bellator, Viacom and Scott Coker, everything just sort of fell into place and I couldn't be happier to be here and be a part of the Bellator family," said Pico.
While the Brazilian isn't expected to fight for Bellator anytime soon, the possibility of having an Olympic gold medalist would be great for Bellator, MMAmania.com reported.
Bellator President Scott Coker said that Pico has what it takes to be a superstar in the company, and that having him in Bellator is "something special."
"Aaron is someone we've been watching closely over the last few years, and after sitting down with Bob Cook and his team, getting a chance to meet Aaron, and hearing his long-term aspirations, the fit became very obvious," Coker said.
