TUF season 9 lightweight winner, Ross Pearson, talks to Fighters Only about the big dogs in the UFC's lightweight division, and his upcoming fight with Cole Miller at UFN 22:
FO: How do you think your skills match up to the top guys in your division just now, like BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar?
Pearson: I think we’re very different. We’re all very good at doing what we like to do. BJ’s ground game and wrestling is unbelievable, but I feel I’m a far better striker than he is. I might never be as good as he is at one thing, but he might never be as good as me at another. I’m not near a BJJ black belt, but a fight is a fight and anything can happen, that’s what makes the sport so exciting.
FO: Your next fight is against Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 22 on the 15th of September. What were your first thoughts on being told you were fighting Cole, and does his BJJ skills worry you? (Cole has won 11 of his 20 fights by submission)
Pearson: I’m always excited to find out my next opponent, but then I sat back and looked at Cole and realised how tricky an opponent he is,. I’m not taking anything away from him, he’s a great fighter, very tricky, but I don’t think he’s got the raw fighting ability I have, he’s not got the power that I have. It’s a tricky fight, and I’m going to be watching what I’m doing because one mistake and the fight could be over.
He doesn’t worry us, nobody worries us.. I don’t fear him in any way, but obviously I’ll be working very hard. I’m never going to match Cole Miller in a BJJ fight, never going to compete with his grappling, but this is MMA. I’m an MMA fighter, not a kickboxer or a thai fighter or a BJJ fighter, I’m an MMA fighter.
I’m working on my BJJ, doing wrestling drills, so I can keep the fight where I want it. I don’t want to grapple, never be able to with Cole, but in an MMA fight I don’t think he’ll be able to last with me.
UFN 22: Maia vs. Belcher coverage
almost 2 years ago
Scott Haber
12 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Agreed.
I like this guy though. He is fun to watch and has improved greatly from one fight to the next.
True.
I like that he is “sizing up” BJ (pause) as someone he feels he can go toe-to-toe with.
Guess Edgar has given new hope to the division.
Semper Fi
by ChicagoMarine on Jul 21, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that hope will soon fade...
but I think Pearson is a dude to watch out for
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." - Jack Burton
Agreed!
Hopefully, (unlike his UK couterparts) he is taking his ground game serious and learning defense & submissions.
Semper Fi
by ChicagoMarine on Jul 21, 2010 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Could happen.. I think it probably won't, but we'll see soon enough
If it does happen, I don’t see Edgar being LW champ for very long anyway. I would take both Florian and Maynard over Edgar, and there are several others coming up that would have a very good shot at beating him too.
by Horselover Fat on Jul 21, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
No mention of Edgar in the first question?
I find it interesting when asked of BJ and Frankie that he never even spoke of Frankie Edgar and his strengths.
Semper Fi
I like Ross, but Cole is going to win this. That lanky bastard a handful on the ground and Ross is going to have to close the distance to get past his reach, leaving him open for the takedown.
As green as Pearson is, his striking is very very accurate for someone as inexperienced as him, and it has improved dramatically very quickly. His clinch game is also quite good as Aaron Riley can attest to. Millar is long but he doesn’t have an especially good jab, I think Pearson will have no problem getting past his reach and hurting him, similar to what Escudero did
"Ten more seconds is all I ever ask. That's the good thing I learned about being KO'd twice. You don't see it coming -it's like death- you don't plan for it so don't wait for it. So many people are afraid of getting Ko'd that their hands stay home, but not me. I got to go out there and shoot the lights out and fall down" Jens Pulver
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bloody Elbow
Related FanShots on Bloody Elbow
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
