No one could blame Ross Pearson for riding off into the glorious sunset. He’s already half way there after all.
So humble were his beginnings in mixed martial arts that the first ‘gym’ he ever went to was one he and a friend set up in his friend’s garden shed.
The 33-year-old Sunderland man now lives in Australia with his wife and child, with his nine-year UFC career financially setting him up for life.
And yet, a fire still burns inside of the MMA fan-favourite. A passion for fighting embedded in him from his working-class upbringing in the North East of England.
Many consider Pearson’s roller-coaster career to be coming to a close.
He’s currently on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC, most recently being defeated by Dan Hooker last June in a brutal second round knockout via a knee to the head. Prior to this losing run he’d never lost consecutively throughout his whole career.
Indeed, a break after that Hooker defeat was needed for Pearson, as were many questions to himself about his future in the sport. But as he explained, this was not the right time for him to stop.
“That last fight was not how I wanted to go out,” the 2009 USA vs UK Ultimate Fighter series winner told us. “I don’t want to be remembered for going out on the back of a knockout defeat like that.
“At the same time, I am wary of going on too long and my legacy being someone who stayed long after he was past it and became someone who just regularly lost. That’s not how I plan on being remembered.
“I’m on a four-fight losing streak. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. After the last one I fell out of love with the sport and asked myself some tough questions during a break from the sport. I was frustrated with myself too, because I know I’m better than I’ve been showing of late.
“I’d been doing well in the Dan Hooker fight and then got caught. no complaints there.
“But in previous fights I feel I’ve been on the wrong end of some pretty poor decisions and it’s definitely made me consider my future. I was frustrated with the sport and I had to reassess everything.
“I realised that this is what I want to continue doing though. I love this sport. I want to prove the doubters wrong. I’m not finished by a long shot yet.
“That fire is back and I have always been someone who will fight absolutely anyone. I still believe with a few good wins I could put myself right in contention, and that is my goal again now. I’m far from finished.”
Pearson makes his return to the Octagon in his new homeland of Australia at UFC 221 on Saturday evening (February 10).
There he takes on Japanese mixed martial artist Mizuto Hirota who also comes in off the back of a defeat. It’s a fight that has huge implications for the Sunderland man.
“This is a massive fight for me both personally and for my career,” he continued.
“I’ve been in this sport a long time, but I feel like my last few fights have not been the real me.
“My last fight made me realise that I’d been pushing too much. Trying too hard and I just wasn’t really enjoying it anymore.
“I had a little time out in which I’ve let my body mend, rest and recover,
“It’s done the trick. I did a lot of soul-searching and that fire is back. I feel fresh and rejuvenated. I feel like a new person and my body is firing.
“I have that motivation, that passion, and that fire back in the belly that means I want to get up on a morning and train hard. It’s no longer a forced thing.
“I’m just hoping that’s reflected in the cage on Saturday night.”
Mixed martial arts
He continued: “I feel I have a lot to prove in this fight. I’m focused and will be looking to take him out early. Everyone who’s followed my career over the years knows I’ll always give my all in that cage to put on a good fight.
“I’m not underestimating him. I’ve trained so hard for this fight.
“I spent five weeks away from my family in the USA with my coach and during that time we watched a lot of his fights and studied him and his style. We’ve trained accordingly and I feel I’m ready for whatever he brings on the night.
“I’m chomping at the bit now to get in there.”
In the middle of his training camp for this fight, Pearson was unable to return home to Sunderland for Christmas. Instead he spent December 25 relaxing on a beach with his family in 30 degrees heat. His only gripe was that he struggled to get into the sea because there were that many surfers!
But does he miss home at all?
“The fans back home have been there for me since day one - some of them before I even made it to the UFC. It means a lot to me.
“I might live this amazing life in Australia now, but I’ll never forget my roots.
“I miss the culture, the craic, the amazing people and, of course, my family and friends. I definetely don’t miss the weather though!”
Watch Pearson in action at UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 11:30pm GMT on Saturday, February 10, with the Prelims and main card following live on BT Sport 2 from 1am GMT early on Sunday
