Aaron Pico’s UFC debut ended poorly, but he’s already looking ahead to his next opportunity. The former Bellator star co-headlined UFC 319 opposite top featherweight contender Lerone Murphy and though he had a few bright moments, Pico ultimately found himself on the wrong end of a spectacular spinning back elbow knockout.

The UFC paid out more than $300,000 in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay to the veteran-heavy UFC 319 lineup.

UFC 319 was a dramatic affair from Chicago, Illinois, with a 12-fight card headlined by Dricus du Plessis and the newly-crowned champion Khamzat Chimaev. The main card saw back-to-back knockouts come by spinning elbow as Carlos Prates KO’d Geoff Neal, and the undefeated Lerone Murphy spoiled Aaron Pico’s UFC debut in brutal fashion.

Our UFC 319 picks don't think Aaron Pico successfully transitions from Bellator when he goes toe to toe vs. Lerone Murphy

During several heated UFC 319 exchanges, Chimaev also announced himself ready to dethrone the UFC middleweight king permanently – “Africa is never going to see the belt again” – and despite his rival’s insistence that he would kill to retain.

The Dricus Du Plessis championship era was brought to a halt Saturday at UFC 319 courtesy of Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) was handily beaten by Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in the form of a unanimous decision at United Center in Chicago,

The UFC main card was one of the best of the year, with two spinning back elbow finishes and a dominant performance by new middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.