Ross Pearson: One brick at a time

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By Elliot Worsell

As a former bricklayer in his native Sunderland, Ross Pearson knows all about setting down foundations and working one’s way to the top. Progressing one brick at a time, Pearson is accustomed to starting off with something small and dreaming of something big.

On November 14 at UFC 105, Pearson will have grown from a solitary brick to a fully realised wall – his dreams of competing in the UFC finally realised.

“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for since I first started watching my old UFC DVDs, dreaming of one day competing in the Octagon,” says the 24-year-old Pearson.

“I sometimes watch the early UFC events in between training sessions and it’s crazy to think I’m now a part of this thing. I’m no longer just a fan of the UFC; I’m one of the competitors. I’m anxious, nervous and excited to finally get this chance. It is everything I’ve ever worked towards in my life and on November 14 I’ll finally get my chance to do it.”

Pearson’s wall didn’t build itself, of course. First competing in his native England, Pearson then enrolled on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, as part of the triumphant Team UK. An integral part of the team’s dynamic, Pearson went on to defeat AJ Wenn, Richie Whitson, Jason Dent and countryman Andre Winner en route to lifting The Ultimate Fighter crown.

“Winning The Ultimate Fighter season nine has had a major effect on both my life and my career as a mixed martial artist,” says ‘The Real Deal’. “It has given me the opportunity to compete in the UFC at the highest level and has also helped my profile in both Britain and America. Whereas before I could walk down the street and go unnoticed, nowadays people know who I am and recognise me from The Ultimate Fighter.”

For a personality as unassuming and low-key as Pearson, the revelations of reality TV took him by surprise.

“I sometimes get a few strange looks in the street, which is quite funny,” recalls Pearson. “I also go past some people and hear, ‘is that him? Is that the guy off The Ultimate Fighter?’ It’s nice to be recognised, as it shows people are watching the sport and are following my career. I never got into mixed martial arts to become a television star, but it feels good to know people appreciate your skills.”

Pearson’s considerable skill set includes technically astute boxing, aggressive clinch work and an improving ground game, highlighted with his arm-bar victory over Whitson. Still learning and improving with each day that passes, Pearson, as a potential star of the UFC, is now in a better position than most to progress in his chosen field.

“One of the joys of being part of the UFC is that there is now a lot more attention on me in camp and more time to prepare myself,” admits Ross, 11-3 in his mixed martial arts career. “My training camp is now much more focused on me, whereas in the past I was just part of a big team.

“In the past I would have been helping other guys get ready and would have been used as a sparring partner. Now we’re dealing with the UFC, I need my coaches there for me and nobody else. I’m doing a lot more one-on-one work with my coaches than I’ve ever done before. I’m also doing a lot of sparring at the Rough House gym in Nottingham, which is the best MMA gym in the UK right now.”

While at the Rough House, Pearson is in a position to work alongside fellow UK mixed martial artists Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy, Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley, Nick Osipczak, Andre Winner, ‘Judo’ Jim Wallhead and Dean Amasinger. As far as ensemble casts go, it’s ‘The Godfather’ of British mixed martial arts.

“There are no better training partners than the guys at the Rough House,” says Pearson. “The Rough House gym is practically a who’s who of UK MMA. So long as I’m working with that calibre of training partners on a daily basis, I know I’m heading in the right direction.”

A studious planner with clear goals in mind, Pearson has endured a 15-week training camp ahead of his post-TUF UFC debut on November 14. The lengthy duration has helped his mental game, just as much as the physical elements.

“I’m aware of the importance of keeping it together on the night,” admits Pearson. “When I make my UFC debut on November 14, I’ll be walking out in front of a crowd of 20,000 people.

“I’ve obviously attended UFC shows in the past, but I’ve never actually walked out to a huge UFC crowd ahead of a fight. I don’t know how that’s going to feel and, to be honest, I’m a little anxious about the whole thing. I’m nervous about the big spotlight, the noise and all the people watching me. I’m not worried about the fight itself, but just wary of the possibility I might not perform to my best.”

While other UFC newcomers are sometimes thrown into the big pool sans armbands and asked to swim, Pearson has at least had a session or two with the floats. His June outing in The Ultimate Fighter finale in Vegas acted as a glitzy dress rehearsal to what he can expect at UFC 105.

“My experience in Vegas gave me a taster of what is to come and was basically an introduction to the whole UFC fight night,” says Pearson. “Fighting in Vegas allowed me to bridge the gap between fighting on local shows and then fighting on a huge event like UFC 105. It now doesn’t feel like I’m just being thrown to the wolves when I make my debut.”

While the mostly British crowd will undoubtedly be on Pearson’s side come November 14, he’s likely to find a wolf staring across him once he finds his feet inside the Octagon. The wolf in this instance goes by the name of Aaron Riley.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for what Aaron has achieved in his UFC career to date, but he hasn’t fought me yet,” says Pearson. “Nobody knows how he will deal with me.

“I think Aaron is going to come straight-forward with his punches and then use his hands to set up a takedown. He’ll look at me and see someone who is fast and explosive with his hands and he’ll realise I’m very dangerous on my feet. I don’t think he’ll take many chances on his feet and will prefer to put me on my back.”

The 28-year-old Riley is a veteran of 40 pro fights and boasts a record of 28-11-1. The Indiana-native holds UFC wins over Jorge Gurgel and Shane Nelson and has tested himself against some of the leading fighters of the past decade. As far as barometers go, Pearson couldn’t ask for a better first examination on November 14.

“I think this fight is going to be a test of wills and a case of who wants it more,” admits Ross. “I can see Aaron coming out swinging and trying to take me by surprise. He will desperately want to knock me out on my home soil. He’s not going to come all this way from America to just lay down and get beaten up.

“There is a lot on the line for Aaron in this fight. Now that I’m The Ultimate Fighter winner, I feel as though I’ve got a big price tag above my head. There will be a lot of guys out there that want to beat me up and expose me.”

One gets the impression Pearson won’t feel like he’s truly arrived until he starts scoring wins in the UFC and releases The Ultimate Fighter noose from around his neck. As much as the show created the Pearson persona in the eyes of many, this humble Brit can also sense the pressure and increased scrutiny it brings.

“Winning The Ultimate Fighter was just a stepping-stone for me,” he adds. “It has given me the chance to appear on a world-class level and I now see UFC 105 as just the start of my career. It’s almost like having my pro debut all over again. There’s some added pressure in being The Ultimate Fighter winner, but it’s a good kind of pressure. It shows I’m doing something right.”

Flanked at UFC 105 by fellow season nine alums James Wilks, Nick Osipczak and Winner, Pearson won’t have to look far for support and familiar faces - or good omens.

“It’s going to be great to fight on the same shows as Wilks, Winner and Osipczak,” adds Pearson. “Every time James and I share a locker room we seem to come out on the winning side, which is a good omen for UFC 105. It feels good to have a lot of familiar faces around you before a fight.

“At the same time, though, this is an individual sport and I’m just here to fight. If I was thrown in the deep end on a Las Vegas show – and I was the only Brit there – it wouldn’t worry me in the slightest. I’m here to achieve my goals and I’m in this thing for myself.

“I respect my whole team and appreciate all the coaches that help me prepare, but I’m very much a one-man band when it comes times to a fight. Nobody else can step into that Octagon and help you once the cage doors shut.”

The time for play is over. Now it’s The Real Deal.