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Mike Pierce is riding a four-fight win streak in the UFC with two TKO finishes over Aaron Simpson and David Mitchell. So he's understandably frustrated to be on the undercard of UFC Fight Night 29: Maia vs. Shields facing a fighter on a two-fight losing streak.
Pierce talked to ESPN's Brett Okamoto about Palhares and didn't hold back:
Okamoto: What are your thoughts on Palhares' style? He has a history of going real deep on submission attempts in the Octagon.
Pierce: Well yeah, there was that one clear, obvious one where he held it when the referee told him to let go and he got fined by a commission (UFC 111). Then recently, he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels (UFC on FX 6), so this guy is definitely a cheat. There's no surprise. He'll do anything to win because he's either desperate or an (a------). I'm not too concerned about that. I come in expecting he's going to be mean, try to be a bully, try to cheat -- I have to deal with it.
The 33-year-old Pierce (17-5, 9-3 UFC) is one of the Welterweight division's best kept secrets whose only losses have come via decision against the very elite of the weight class: Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks who'll be fighting for the title at UFC 167.
With his recent surge in TKO wins and this newfound interest in trash talk, Pierce may finally be figuring out what the fans and the UFC want from fighters.
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