Aaron Pico and Losene Keita kick off the UFC 333 main card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
- Last event's results: 4-2
- UFC main cards, 2026: 115-73-1
Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita UFC 333 preview
Pico (14-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), No. 14 in the Meta UFC featherweight rankings, could be facing a bigger fight had Aljamain Sterling accepted or Brendan Allen not withdrawn. Instead, Pico settles for an unranked opponent as he looks for his second consecutive UFC win following a decision over fellow Bellator veteran Patricio Freire this past April. That erased the bitter tase of being knocked out by Lerone Murphy in his UFC debut in August 2025.
For Keita (17-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), UFC 333 is an opportunity to perhaps break into the 145-pound rankings with an impressive enough win. He's making a quick turnaround off a first-round knockout of Muhammad Naimov on Sept. 5.
Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita UFC 333 expert pick, prediction
Despite Keita feeling like the hot hand after his last performance, I suspect that Pico is the fighter with more pathways to victory in this fight.
Keita will certainly be live for the knockout in the first half of the fight, but I'm not sure the native of Belgium has the chops to hang with Pico in extended exchanges or grappling scenarios.
For that reason, I'll officially pick Pico to fight smart by mixing in takedowns en route to a unanimous decision win.
Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita UFC 333 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the American fighter, listing Pico -144 and Keita +118 via FanDuel.
Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita UFC 333 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Nallo and Landwehr are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 2:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita prediction, pick, time for UFC 333
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