RAF 10 results: Aaron Pico dominates Lance Palmer with tech fall victory in return to wrestling

Aaron Pico returned to competitive wrestling after a decade away and dominated Lance Palmer with a 12-1 technical fall victory in the second period at RAF 10, demonstrating he has not lost a step despite his lengthy hiatus from the sport.

Pico, a UFC featherweight contender, stepped away from wrestling in 2016 after finishing as a finalist in the U.S. Olympic trials. In his first match back on the RAF mats, Pico was explosive and relentless, quickly establishing a 6-0 lead in the first period with multiple takedowns before pulling away in the second. "It's been 10 years since I've been away," Pico said post-match. "Thank you to wrestling, everything it's done for me. I'm just so happy to be at RAF."

After his victory, commentator Chael Sonnen broached the possibility of a rematch with Penn State legend Zain Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion and World Championships gold medalist. Pico, who never competed in college but previously defeated Retherford six times in tournament competition, was enthusiastic about the prospect. "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 responded. "Sign me up."

At his peak, Pico was considered a future star of American wrestling, but ultimately committed to MMA as his primary focus. His dominant performance suggests he may be ready to split his time between both sports moving forward.