Bellator inks 18-year-old phenom Aaron Pico to 'long-term' deal

Bellator MMA has added one of the sport’s most promising prospects to its roster.

On Saturday the organization announced the signing of 18-year-old Aaron Pico, a FILA World Championship winner whose world-class wrestling skills are balanced with stellar striking skills and a Junior Golden Gloves national championship.

Although Pico is aiming for a spot on the 2016 Olympic wrestling team, he’s committed to Bellator in the former of a “long-term contract,” the promotion announced, though terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

“When it comes to any big decision I make, I sit down with my family, my management team at Zinkin and the people that are around me that I trust,” stated Pico, who was introduced during Saturday’s Bellator 131 broadcast on Spike TV. “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.”

Pico opted against college to compete on the international freestyle wrestling circuit. The teenager, who host of wrestling, boxing and pankration titles to his name, already inked sponsorship deals with Nike and other major brands.

Although Bellator has no immediate plans for his MMA debut, which may take a backseat to Pico’s 2016 Olympic plans, securing a deal with him is a significant acquisition for the company.

“Simply put, Aaron has all the makings of MMA’s next great superstar, and to have him here at Bellator is something special,” Strikeforce President Scott Coker stated. “Like many of us in the MMA community, 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.

“I’m not only excited to see what Aaron is going to be able to do in our cage, but also watching him represent our country in 2016 at the Olympics.”

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.