Aaron Pico dominates Lance Palmer on wrestling return after decade away from the mat

Aaron Pico’s decade-long absence from competitive wrestling ended with a dominant 12-1 technical fall victory over Lance Palmer at RAF 10 on Saturday, a performance that suggested the UFC featherweight contender has lost nothing from his elite grappling game.

Pico, who came within one win of making the 2016 U.S. Olympic team before turning his full attention to MMA, wasted no time imposing himself on Palmer. He secured a takedown almost immediately, added another two points with a roll, and had built a 6-0 lead by the end of the first period. Palmer, an All-American out of Ohio State, survived until the whistle in the opening frame but could not contain Pico in the second. After shutting down a Palmer takedown attempt and converting a quick reversal, Pico allowed just one point in reply before closing out the match moments later to reach the 12-1 technical fall threshold.

“It’s been 10 years since I’ve been away,” Pico said after the win. “Thank you to wrestling, everything it’s done for me. I’m just so happy to be at RAF. I want to make it one of the sports and the most popular sport in the world.”

Following the bout, broadcaster Chael Sonnen raised the prospect of a rematch with Penn State’s Zain Retherford — a three-time NCAA champion and World Championship gold medalist. Pico, who never competed collegiately but reportedly defeated Retherford multiple times in tournaments, was characteristically direct about his appetite for the matchup.

“One thing I can say about that, I beat him six times for free but now I can beat him and get paid for it?” Pico said. “Sign me up.”

MMA remains Pico’s primary focus, but Saturday’s performance signalled that his return to the wrestling mat is more than a one-off. At his sharpest, the 27-year-old moved with the speed and physicality that once marked him as a generational talent in American wrestling — and he showed little sign of rust after ten years away.