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Ross Pearson
Ross Pearson.jpg
Ross Pearson at UFC 105 weigh-ins
Born (1984-09-26) 26 September 1984 (age 40)
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
Other names The Real Deal
Residence Central Coast, Australia
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Division Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Reach 69 in (175 cm)
Style Boxing
Fighting out of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
Team The Alliance
Rank Black belt in Taekwondo
Brown belt in Judo
Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active 2004–2019 (MMA)
2019–2021 (Boxing)
Professional boxing record
Total 2
Wins 1
By knockout 1
Losses 1
By knockout 1
Mixed martial arts record
Total 38
Wins 20
By knockout 7
By submission 5
By decision 8
Losses 17
By knockout 6
By submission 2
By decision 9
No contests 1
Other information
Spouse Kristie Jane Pearson

Ross Pearson (born 26 September 1984) is a retired English mixed martial artist and professional boxer. A 26-fight veteran of the UFC, he was a three-time "Fight of the Night" winner and was the lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 9.

Background

Pearson, born and raised in Sunderland, England, began training in Tae Kwon Do at the age of six, before adding judo and boxing to his repertoire in high-school. Pearson later began training in mixed martial arts at the age of 17. He also attended Carilion Craft Training in Sunderland. Pearson worked as a brick layer afterwards. Inspired by early UFC events, Pearson decided to become a professional MMA fighter.

Mixed martial arts career

The Ultimate Fighter reality show

In 2009, Pearson competed on the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom. He placed first in the lightweight division.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2010

Pearson defeated kickboxer Dennis Siver by unanimous decision on 31 March at UFC Fight Night 21.

Pearson was submitted by Cole Miller via second-round rear-naked choke on 15 September 2010 at UFC Fight Night 22.

Pearson faced Spencer Fisher on 27 February 2011 at UFC 127. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

2011

Pearson lost to Edson Barboza via split decision at UFC 134 in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honours.

For his next fight, Pearson dropped to Featherweight and faced Junior Assunção on 30 December at UFC 141. Pearson won the fight by unanimous decision.

Pearson faced Cub Swanson on 22 June 2012 at UFC on FX 4. He lost the fight by TKO late into the second round.

2012

In July Pearson was confirmed as the Team UK coach for The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. Pearson faced George Sotiropoulos in a Lightweight bout on 15 December 2012 at UFC on FX 6. He won the fight by an early third-round TKO.

2013

Pearson next faced Ryan Couture on 6 April 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV 9. He won the fight by TKO in the third round.

Pearson faced Melvin Guillard on 26 October 2013 at UFC Fight Night 30. The fight ended in a no contest when Pearson was deemed unable to continue after being cut on the forehead by an accidental illegal knee.

2014

A rematch with Guillard was expected to take place on 8 March 2014 at UFC Fight Night 37. However, Pearson pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by Michael Johnson.

Pearson faced Diego Sanchez on 7 June 2014 at UFC Fight Night 42. Despite outstriking Sanchez in every round, and getting a knockdown in round 2, Pearson would ultimate lose the fight by highly controversial split decision. 13 of 14 media scorecards had the bout 30-27 Pearson, while the 14th had Pearson winning 29–28. As a result, Pearson filed an appeal with the New Mexico Athletic Commission, "in hopes the decision is overturned, at the very least to a no-contest." The official decision was ultimately upheld. Despite an official loss on the scorecards, UFC president Dana White indicated that the organisation had ruled out the possibility of an immediate rematch and said that they would informally treat it as a win for Pearson, and that he would be compensated that way. UFC paid Pearson $30,000 as an unofficial win bonus

Pearson was expected to face Abel Trujillo on 16 August 2014 at UFC Fight Night 47. However, on 4 August, Trujillo pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Gray Maynard. He won the fight by TKO in the second round. After a close first round, early in the second round Pearson landed a combination which knocked Maynard down, causing the referee, Keith Peterson, to step in to stop the fight as Maynard was deemed not to be intelligently defending himself.

Pearson faced Al Iaquinta on 8 November 2014 at UFC Fight Night 55. Despite being the odds-on-favorite, Pearson lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

2015

Pearson faced Sam Stout on 14 March 2015 at UFC 185. Pearson won the fight via knockout in the second round dropping Stout with a left hook and finishing him with a right hand on the ground. Subsequently, Pearson won a Performance of the Night bonus.

Pearson faced Evan Dunham on 18 July 2015 at UFC Fight Night 72. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Pearson faced Paul Felder on 5 September 2015 at UFC 191. He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision.

2016

Pearson faced Francisco Trinaldo on 17 January at UFC Fight Night 81. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Pearson was expected to face Abel Trujillo on 20 March at UFC Fight Night 85. However, Trujillo was removed from the card on 12 March due to alleged visa issues which restricted his entry to Australia. As a result, Pearson faced Chad Laprise on the card. He won the fight via split decision.

Pearson was expected to face James Krause on 8 July at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. However, Krause was pulled from the fight on 13 June for undisclosed reasons and replaced by Will Brooks. Pearson lost the fight via unanimous decision.

After the loss, Ross Pearson moved to the Welterweight division. Pearson explained that cutting less weight gives him more energy and better sleep. He repeatedly had renal and digestive issues due to the weight cut.

Pearson came in as a short notice replacement to face Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight bout on 30 July at UFC 201, filling in for an ill Siyar Bahadurzada. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

A rescheduled bout with James Krause was scheduled for 19 November at UFC Fight Night 99. Subsequently, on 26 October, Krause pulled out of the fight citing a torn hamstring. He was replaced by Stevie Ray. Pearson lost the fight via split decision.

Despite the three-fight losing streak, Pearson did not want to retire. He wanted the UFC to host an event at Newcastle before retirement.

2017

CountriesPearsonCompetedAug2017
Countries where Ross Pearson has competed in as of August 2017

Pearson faced Dan Hooker on 11 June 2017 at UFC Fight Night 110. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round.

2018

Pearson faced Mizuto Hirota on 11 February 2018 at UFC 221. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Pearson faced John Makdessi on 28 July 2018 at UFC on Fox 30. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Pearson was expected to face Joseph Duffy on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142. However, Pearson announced on 7 November that he was out of the bout due to a broken nose and subsequent surgery to correct the injury.

2019

Pearson faced Desmond Green on 30 March 2019 at UFC on ESPN 2. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one.

Pearson announced his retirement on 8 April 2019.

Pearson returned to MMA on 16 November to fight Davy Gallon at Probellum 1, losing the fight via KO.

Fighting style

Pearson is known for his powerful punches. His favourite grappling technique is the armbar.

Pearson has stated that his hero is Randy Couture.

Training

Pearson is a member of The Alliance MMA Gym. Nick Hands coaches Pearson's Muay Thai, Sean Casey coaches Pearson's boxing, and Barry Gibson serves as Pearson's strength and conditioning coach.

Personal life

Pearson met his Australian wife, Kristie Jane Pearson when she worked as a ring girl for the UFC. Pearson moved to Australia to be with his wife. They have two daughters.

In his free time, Pearson does motocross.

Filmography

TV series

Year Title Role Notes
2009 The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Himself Winner of Lightweight division
2010 MMA Live Himself Episode dated 29 July 2010
2012 The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Himself Head coach of Team UK

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2010 UFC Undisputed 2010 Himself Playable character
2012 UFC Undisputed 3 Himself Playable character
2014 EA Sports UFC Himself Playable character
2016 EA Sports UFC 2 Himself Playable character
2018 EA Sports UFC 3 Himself Playable character

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • The Ultimate Fighter 9 Tournament Winner (Lightweight)
    • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Dennis Siver, Edson Barboza and John Makdessi
    • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Sam Stout
  • Ultimate Force
    • UF Lightweight Champion (One time)
    • One successful title defense
  • Total Combat
    • Lightweight Champion
  • Strike and Submit
    • Lightweight Champion

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
38 matches 20 wins 17 losses
By knockout 8 6
By submission 4 2
By decision 8 9
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 20–17 (1) Davy Gallon KO (rolling thunder kick) Probellum 1 16 November 2019 3 4:26 Brentwood, Essex, England
Loss 20–16 (1) Desmond Green TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje 30 March 2019 1 2:52 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Loss 20–15 (1) John Makdessi Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 28 July 2018 3 5:00 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Fight of the Night.
Win 20–14 (1) Mizuto Hirota Decision (unanimous) UFC 221 11 February 2018 3 5:00 Perth, Australia
Loss 19–14 (1) Dan Hooker KO (knee) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt 11 June 2017 2 3:02 Auckland, New Zealand
Loss 19–13 (1) Stevie Ray Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 19 November 2016 3 5:00 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Loss 19–12 (1) Jorge Masvidal Decision (unanimous) UFC 201 30 July 2016 3 5:00 Atlanta, Georgia, United States Welterweight bout.
Loss 19–11 (1) Will Brooks Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale 8 July 2016 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 19–10 (1) Chad Laprise Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir 20 March 2016 3 5:00 Brisbane, Australia
Loss 18–10 (1) Francisco Trinaldo Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz 17 January 2016 3 5:00 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win 18–9 (1) Paul Felder Decision (split) UFC 191 5 September 2015 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 17–9 (1) Evan Dunham Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites 18 July 2015 3 5:00 Glasgow, Scotland, Scotland
Win 17–8 (1) Sam Stout KO (punch) UFC 185 14 March 2015 2 1:33 Dallas, Texas, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 16–8 (1) Al Iaquinta TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping 8 November 2014 2 1:39 Sydney, Australia
Win 16–7 (1) Gray Maynard TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. St. Preux 16 August 2014 2 1:35 Bangor, Maine, United States
Loss 15–7 (1) Diego Sanchez Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov 7 June 2014 3 5:00 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
NC 15–6 (1) Melvin Guillard NC (illegal knee) UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz 26 October 2013 1 1:57 Manchester, England Pearson was unable to continue after being cut by an accidental illegal knee.
Win 15–6 Ryan Couture TKO (punches) UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi 6 April 2013 2 3:45 Stockholm, Sweden
Win 14–6 George Sotiropoulos TKO (punches) UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson 15 December 2012 3 0:41 Gold Coast, Australia Return to Lightweight.
Loss 13–6 Cub Swanson TKO (punches) UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida 22 June 2012 2 4:14 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 13–5 Junior Assunção Decision (unanimous) UFC 141 30 December 2011 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Featherweight debut.
Loss 12–5 Edson Barboza Decision (split) UFC 134 27 August 2011 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fight of the Night.
Win 12–4 Spencer Fisher Decision (unanimous) UFC 127 27 February 2011 3 5:00 Sydney, Australia
Loss 11–4 Cole Miller Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares 15 September 2010 2 1:49 Austin, Texas, United States
Win 11–3 Dennis Siver Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi 31 March 2010 3 5:00 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 10–3 Aaron Riley TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 105 14 November 2009 2 4:38 Manchester, England
Win 9–3 Andre Winner Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale 20 June 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Won The Ultimate Fighter 9 Lightweight tournament.
Win 8–3 Ian Jones Submission (rear-naked choke) Ultimate Force: Nemesis 1 November 2008 1 3:33 Doncaster, England Defended the UF Lightweight Championship.
Loss 7–3 Abdul Mohamed Decision (unanimous) Cage Gladiators 9: Beatdown 4 October 2008 3 5:00 Liverpool, England
Win 7–2 Cedric Celerier TKO (submission to punches) MMA Total Combat 24 31 May 2008 1 2:35 London, England
Win 6–2 Aidan Marron Submission (armbar) Ultimate Force: Punishment 3 May 2008 3 4:34 Doncaster, England Won the vacant UF Lightweight Championship.
Win 5–2 Sami Berik Submission (triangle choke) Strike and Submit 6 13 April 2008 1 0:37 Gateshead, England
Win 4–2 Mark Spencer TKO (punches) MMA Total Combat 23 23 February 2008 1 3:44 Cornwall, England
Win 3–2 Steve Tetley Submission (armbar) CWFC: Enter The Rough House 5 8 December 2007 1 4:46 Nottingham, England
Win 2–2 Gavin Bradley KO (punch) MMA Total Combat 22 24 November 2007 1 2:05 Cornwall, England
Loss 1–2 Curt Warburton TKO (doctor stoppage) MMA Total Combat 21 22 September 2007 1 5:00 Cornwall, England
Win 1–1 Will Burke Decision MMA Total Combat 21 22 September 2007 3 5:00 Cornwall, England
Loss 0–1 Chris Hughes Submission (rear-naked choke) HOP 1: Fight Night 1 12 December 2004 2 2:33 Swansea, Wales

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 3–0 Jason Dent Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom 7 June 2009 (airdate) 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Semi-finals.
Win 2–0 Richie Whitson Submission (armbar) The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom 13 May 2009 (airdate) 1 3:40 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Quarter-finals.
Win 1–0 A.J. Wenn TKO (punches) The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom 1 April 2009 (airdate) 2 0:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Preliminary bout.

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
2 fights 1 win 1 loss
By knockout 1 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
2 loss 1–1 Max Reeves TKO 1 (8) 1:09 27 November 2021 Lucknow Football Oval, Bairnsdale
1 Win 1–0 Salar King TKO 2 (4) 2:21 15 May 2019 The Star, Sydney, Australia

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ross Pearson para niños

  • List of current UFC fighters
  • List of male mixed martial artists
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