Ross Pearson made his name by upsetting the field to win TUF season 9. After the show, most gave Pearson little credit, as he was actually the underdog against Aaron Riley. After easily disposing of Riley and Dennis Siver in striking wars, Pearson was shockingly upset by Cole Miller. In his return fight, Pearson’s activity paid off against Spencer Fisher, as he was able to outstrike the veteran in the second and third rounds to take a clear decision. Pearson is looking to continue his climb up the lightweight ladder, and to show that the Miller loss was a fluke.
Edson Barboza Vs Ross Pearson Odds;
Barboza – (-265) @ Bodog.Com
Pearson – (+205) @ Bodog.Com
Edson Barboza is an undefeated Brazilian who entered the UFC with a ton of hype, and has been a big favourite in all three of his UFC fights (including this one). In his debut, Barboza battered Mike Lullo with legkicks forcing a third round stoppage, and in his return fight, Barboza edged fellow striker Anthony Njokuani. Barboza’s victory over Njokuani was not as one sided as many had predicted, however his stock is still very high, and the UFC would love to push this striker up the lightweight ladder as quickly as possible.
Everyone is analyzing this fight the same, and it’s hard to disagree. Both guys are strikers, and all the evidence points to Barboza being the superior one. Pearson was dead even standing with Andre Winner, and Winner was crushed by Njokuani who was even with Barboza. (While MMAth is far from infallible, when it comes to analyzing how fighters will match up within a single discipline, it can be very powerful.)
The other fights on Pearson’s resume don’t bode too well for him either. Most expected Pearson to easily pick apart Spencer Fisher, but it didn’t happen. Fisher kept the fight very close, and in fact won the first round of that fight. The Miller fight is even more daunting, as Miller is hardly considered a strong striker, and he was able to tag Pearson repeatedly.
The one nagging issue here is that one has to imagine that Ross Pearson is well aware that he will have a disadvantage in the striking realm, and that he will attempt to bring the fight to the ground. The reality however is that we haven’t seen any wrestling ability from Pearson, and Barboza is also untested in this field. While it’s possible Pearson will come out with a gameplan to take Barboza down, I doubt Pearson has the necessary skills to do so, and do not fear this possibility.
Ultimately, I expect this to be a standup fight, and the reality is Barboza is a superior striker. The Edson Barboza vs Ross Pearson prediction is that Barboza uses straight punches and leg kicks to easily outpoint Pearson for three rounds, or scoring a late finish. Barboza is only losing if he comes into this fight overconfident or ill, or if Pearson’s wrestling technique is being seriously underestimated by everyone. At -265, the price is steep, but Barboza is still worth a small play as he is a horrible stylistic matchup for Pearson and simply the better fighter.
Conclusion: Edson Barboza should pick apart Ross Pearson for three rounds, and at -265, a small play is warranted.
