Ross Pearson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ross Pearson |
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Ross Pearson at UFC 105 weigh-ins
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| Born | 26 September 1984 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 September 26, 1984) is a retired English mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He was a well-known fighter in the UFC, which is a big organization for mixed martial arts. Ross fought 26 times in the UFC. He was also the winner of a TV show called The Ultimate Fighter 9 in the lightweight division.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Ross Pearson was born and grew up in Sunderland, England. He started learning Tae Kwon Do when he was just six years old. As he got older, he also began training in Judo and Boxing during high school. When he was 17, Ross added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his training.
After finishing school, Ross worked as a bricklayer. He was inspired by early UFC events and decided he wanted to become a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Becoming a Star on TV
In 2009, Ross Pearson joined a reality TV show called The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom. This show brings together fighters to compete against each other. Ross did very well and won the lightweight division of the show.
Fighting in the UFC
After winning The Ultimate Fighter, Ross Pearson joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
2010-2012 Fights
On March 31, 2010, Ross won a fight against Dennis Siver by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed he won. Later that year, on September 15, he lost a fight to Cole Miller.
In 2011, Ross fought Spencer Fisher on February 27 and won by unanimous decision. He then had a tough fight against Edson Barboza on August 27, which he lost by a split decision. This fight was so exciting that it earned "Fight of the Night" honors.
Ross decided to move to a lighter weight class called Featherweight. On December 30, he fought Junior Assunção and won by unanimous decision. In 2012, he faced Cub Swanson on June 22 and lost by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the second round.
Coaching and More Fights
In July 2012, Ross was chosen to be a coach for Team UK on another season of The Ultimate Fighter, called The Smashes. He then returned to the Lightweight division. On December 15, 2012, he fought George Sotiropoulos and won by TKO in the third round.
2013-2014 Challenges
Ross continued his winning streak in 2013. He defeated Ryan Couture by TKO on April 6. On October 26, he fought Melvin Guillard. However, the fight ended in a "no contest" because Ross was accidentally hit with an illegal knee and couldn't continue.
A rematch with Guillard was planned for March 8, 2014, but Ross had to pull out due to a knee injury. Later that year, on June 7, he fought Diego Sanchez. Even though many people thought Ross won the fight, the judges gave the win to Sanchez by a split decision. The UFC president, Dana White, even said they would treat it like a win for Ross and paid him extra money.
On August 16, 2014, Ross fought Gray Maynard and won by TKO in the second round. However, on November 8, he lost to Al Iaquinta by TKO.
2015-2016 Bouts
Ross had a great win on March 14, 2015, when he knocked out Sam Stout in the second round. This impressive win earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
He then lost to Evan Dunham on July 18 by unanimous decision. On September 5, he had a close fight with Paul Felder and won by split decision.
In 2016, Ross lost to Francisco Trinaldo on January 17. He then fought Chad Laprise on March 20 and won by split decision. On July 8, he lost to Will Brooks.
After this loss, Ross decided to move up to the Welterweight division. He explained that cutting less weight helped him have more energy and sleep better. He had faced some health issues from trying to make the lower weight.
On July 30, Ross stepped in on short notice to fight Jorge Masvidal at welterweight, but he lost by unanimous decision. His next fight was on November 19 against Stevie Ray, which he lost by split decision. Even with these losses, Ross did not want to retire.
Final UFC Fights and Retirement
On June 11, 2017, Ross faced Dan Hooker and lost by knockout in the second round.
In 2018, Ross had a win against Mizuto Hirota on February 11 by unanimous decision. On July 28, he fought John Makdessi and lost by unanimous decision. This fight was exciting enough to earn another "Fight of the Night" award. Ross was supposed to fight Joseph Duffy on December 2, but he had to withdraw due to a broken nose.
Ross Pearson's last UFC fight was on March 30, 2019, against Desmond Green, which he lost by TKO. He announced his retirement from MMA on April 8, 2019. However, he did return for one more MMA fight on November 16, 2019, losing to Davy Gallon.
Fighting Style
Ross Pearson was known for his strong and powerful punches. When it came to grappling, his favorite move was the armbar, which is a technique to control an opponent's arm. Ross has said that his hero in fighting is Randy Couture.
Training
Ross Pearson trains at The Alliance MMA Gym. He has a team of coaches who help him. Nick Hands coaches his Muay Thai skills, Sean Casey coaches his boxing, and Barry Gibson helps him with his strength and conditioning.
Personal Life
Ross Pearson met his wife, Kristie Jane Pearson, who is from Australia. She used to work as a ring girl for the UFC. Ross moved to Australia to be with her, and they now have two daughters. In his free time, Ross enjoys riding motocross.
Appearances
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 |
Achievements
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- The Ultimate Fighter 9 Tournament Winner (Lightweight)
- Fight of the Night (Three times) – for his fights against Dennis Siver, Edson Barboza and John Makdessi
- Performance of the Night (One time) – for his fight against Sam Stout
- UFC.com Awards
- 2009: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year
- Ultimate Force
- UF Lightweight Champion (One time)
- Successfully defended his title once
- Total Combat
- Lightweight Champion
- Strike and Submit
- Lightweight Champion
Images for kids
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Ross Pearson at UFC 105 weigh-ins
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Countries where Ross Pearson has competed in as of August 2017
See also
In Spanish: Ross Pearson para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
