UFC 105 Preview: Ross Pearson Draws Difficult Task in Veteran Aaron Riley

In the first main card televised bout of the evening, The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 winner Ross Pearson (9-3, 1-0 UFC) will make his sophomore appearance in the Octagon following his victory over Andre Winner to take on a very stiff test in veteran fighter Aaron Riley (28-11-1, 2-3 UFC). Riley is entering the contest after an unanimous decision victory over Shane Nelson at UFC 101, a bout that was a rematch of their UFC 96 match-up in which the fight was prematurely stopped. Most fans will look at Riley as a stepping stone for Pearson in this match-up, but Riley's experience and ability to blanket opponents with his pace, ground tactics, and conditioning could prove to be a very difficult gameplan for Pearson to overcome. The bookmakers agree as well as Riley is the favorite at -200 while Pearson sits at +180.

With such a tough task at hand at UFC 105, Pearson has stepped up his training regiment for this battle. He has taken on the difficult task of training for 15 weeks for this match-up, which includes sessions at one of England's finest MMA gyms in Team Rough House. Not only does he train with the man he defeated for the six-figure contract in Andre Winner, but he also spars everyday with fighters such as Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, Nick Osipczak, Jimmy Wallhead and Dean Amasinger. The lengthy camp should give Pearson the tools he needs to survive against such an attrition-based fighter in Aaron Riley, but his training at Team Rough House could potentially bring his striking and overall skill-set to new levels that we haven't seen before.

Riley has also made changes to his routine after over a decade in the sport. Following his loss to Shane Nelson at UFC 96, Riley moved to Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He's mentioned in previous interviews that the family atmosphere as been something he's been missing from his life, and Jackson's camp is the epitome of providing that atmosphere among MMA camps around the world. It also happens to house some of the best fighters in the sport today, and it should provide Riley with a means to improving his skill-set.

Stylistically, both fighters are similar in what they bring to the cage. Riley and Pearson both have the ability to stand toe-to-toe, but their styles normally bank on the clinch and takedowns to defeat opponents. Pearson was effective during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter at pressing opponents into the cage, and his conditioning was surprisingly able to outwork his opponents. Riley relies on the same tactics, but his experience against better competition should come in handy in trying to blanket Pearson in this match-up.

The real difference maker for this bout will be what Pearson has improved over the course of his lengthy training camp. Team Rough House is one of the best camps in the U.K. right now as it boasts some solid strikers in Hardy and Daley while also having a Judo expert in Jimmy Wallhead. Pearson is actually a black belt in Taekwondo and a brown belt in Judo, so he has some skills that could come in handy for this match-up. Has he improved enough to stop Riley from dominating him with his pace and controlling style on the ground? It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, but Riley hasn't had an easy time against even low-echelon talent in the UFC's lightweight division.

It's a tough call, but Pearson almost strikes me as a guy who's improved immensely since his stint on the show. My gut says Pearson, but the smart bet would be Riley via decision. Pick your horse.