A pair of featherweights boasting a string of stoppage wins are on a path to meet at Bellator 257, as a fight between Aaron Pico and Aiden Lee is in the works.
Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the impending booking Thursday but asked to remain anonymous because Bellator has yet to officially announce the bout.
Featuring a light heavyweight title match between reigning champion Vadim Nemkov and former champ Phil Davis that serves as a grand prix quarterfinal, Bellator 257 takes place April 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Showtime.
Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) returns to the cage following a banner 2020 in which he went 3-0 with three stoppage victories, scoring knockout wins over John DeJesus and Daniel Carey, while slipping in a submission win over Solo Hatley Jr. between those two results.
Meanwhile, Lee (9-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is a former Cage Warriors title challenger who made his way to Bellator in 2019. After suffering a decision loss to Saul Rogers in his promotional debut, Lee has since bounced back with a submission win over Damian Frankiewicz and a knockout of Jeremy Petley.
With the addition to the card, Bellator 257 now includes:
- Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis – grand prix quarterfinal, for light heavyweight title
- Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero
- Aiden Lee vs. Aaron Pico