Aaron Biko has always been considered an athletic nerd, but somehow he managed to defy the odds with his quick comeback from a freak injury he suffered in his last fight.
With a potential title shot on the line, the 26-year-old featherweight had barely started in his opening fight against Jeremy Kennedy when something was clearly wrong with his shoulder. Biko returned to his corner where an attempt was made to wrest his separated shoulder back into the socket but the doctor on line refused to allow him to continue the fight after five minutes.
It was a disappointing end to the biggest fight of his career after Picco put together a six-fight winning streak to get into title contention, but refused to let the setback actually defeat him.
“When I take stock of the situation, I really had to look at the fight and I will say this – I spoke to the boss [Scott Coker]I talked to [my manager] on [Abdelaziz] And they said listen, we don’t really consider this a loss,” Biko explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “So that box was unchecked. I look at my bag, I win all my money, and it’s all good as far as that goes, and then I rate the fight and say wow, I had a misplaced shoulder and I survived that. I calmed my mind in the heat of the battle, when the s*** were all around, I was able to calm myself down, reduce the damage and get to the second round. This is a win for me. I look at it like this.
“Then the next step is figuring out what’s wrong with the shoulder. I did it and the doctor said that’s what needs to be done and that’s the time frame and it sounds so easy and people make it so complicated but you know how I can go back? Of course you have dark moments but I didn’t think about it.” “All I thought about was when will I come back. How can I get my shoulder healthy. Control what I can control and when it’s time to fight again, I’ll win. I’ll be back.”
Biko admits that the aftermath of his surgery to repair the damaged shoulder was very traumatic, but he again refuses to let that deter him from going into physical therapy until he can start working towards his return.
According to Biko, he attacked his rehab with the same kind of ferocity he usually reserves for his training camps. When it came time to go back to his doctor for a check-up, his doctor was shocked at how quickly he recovered, especially given the severity of his injury and the subsequent surgery to repair the damage that had been done.
“First, when I had the surgery, the pain was the worst I’ve ever had,” Biko said. “It was really bad and I said it was crazy how painful it was. Over time I just started to feel really good. I started making progress with a therapist and then at the first visit to the doctor he said it was crazy how much mobility you have, the strength you have.
“I was really focused on my rehab. I had a great therapist here in Albuquerque and I hit pretty hard. Like I said, Dr. Warren Kramer in Newport Beach is one of the best shoulder surgeons in the US and it went really smoothly. It wasn’t obesity time. It wasn’t a time to slack off or anything like that. I really connected to eating, healing, sleeping, and getting strong. I got really strong and got back into training really fast.”
Considering he had shoulder surgery six months ago, Pico’s return in Bellator 295 might seem a bit rushed as if he might be rushing back instead of allowing his body to heal properly.
Biko says this could not be further from the truth because if anything, he actually feels better now than he did before he got injured in the first place.
“People always ask me how did I come back so fast? It wasn’t like I was rushing through it to be honest with you,” Biko said. “I was just so focused on everything. To my sleep, to my diet, to my weight lifting program, to my conditioning and listening to my therapist and doctor. My body has just healed very well and I am very happy with how my shoulder feels.
“He definitely feels stronger. My left has never felt so strong. Everyone knows I have a strong left hook, I’ve slammed a lot of people and he said this thing is very, very scary, actually stronger than it’s ever been.” I’m in good shape.”
Since the day he made his professional debut, Pico has been called a future champion but has faltered several times along the way. A devastating shoulder injury would have been another major deterrent to making Biko feel like he was taking one step forward and two steps back in his career.
Don’t expect Biko to accept that as his version, as he is confident that winning his next fight will get him back to where he wants to be in the featherweight division.
In fact, Biko expects to finally live up to all those expectations piled on his shoulders before he lands one professional fight with designs to claim a championship before the year is out.
“I don’t feel any different,” Biko said. “I’m still on the road to being world champion. In 2023, I honestly think I’ll have that belt around my waist. I really believe in that and that’s what I’m working for. One step at a time. I think I’ll be world champion this year.”