Ross Pearson and Will Brooks will throw down TONIGHT (Fri., July 8, 2016) at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a match up of gatekeeper and regional champion, what adjustments must be made for either man to claim victory? Find out below!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight scrappers Ross Pearson and Will Brooks will duel later this evening (Fri., July 8, 2016) in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale co-main event inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pearson’s inconsistency has been remarkably consistent. The Englishman has alternated wins and losses in his last eight bouts, but he’ll look to break that streak here and begin his first win streak in years.
On the other hand, Brooks put together an eight-fight win streak to capture and defend the Bellator MMA 155-pound title. However, the organization was completely uninterested in him for some reason, so now the talented “Ill Will” makes his Octagon debut against a long-time veteran.
Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both men:
Ross Pearson
Record: 18-9 (1)
Key Wins: Paul Felder (UFC 191), Chad Laprise (UFC Fight Night 85), Gray Maynard (UFC Fight Night 47), Dennis Siver (UFC Fight Night 21)
Key Losses: Evan Dunham (UFC Fight Night 72), Al Iaquinta (UFC Fight Night 55), Francisco Trinaldo (UFC Fight Night 81)
Keys to Victory: Pearson is a very talented boxer who is very difficult to take down. In most fights, Pearson looks to walk down his opponent, slip punches and land devastating counter shots.
That should be his gameplan here as well.
While his opponent is a very well-rounded fighter, Brooks definitely doesn’t have Pearson’s boxing experience and tight combinations. He may be an underdog, but Pearson does have that definitive advantage.
To make use of that skill, Pearson needs to keep the pressure on Brooks. He cannot get overeager and give up a takedown or be too passive and eat long strikes, so it will be a delicate balancing act.
Beyond forcing Brooks to box with him and doing his usual offense, I’d like to see Pearson return to the low kicks that helped win his last fight. If he can slow Brooks down a bit and help nullify that athleticism edge, it could create openings for his hard punches.
VS.
Will Brooks
Record: 18-1
Key Wins: Michael Chandler (Bellator 131, 120), Marcin Held (Bellator 145), Alexander Sarnavsky (Bellator 109)
Key Losses: Saad Awad (Bellator 91)
Keys to Victory: Brooks is one of those unique fighters who seems to be on another level athletically from most of his opponents. He’s also developed a rather technical mixed martial arts (MMA) game as well, transitioning well between striking and wrestling.
Brooks’ talents were best evident in his pair of bouts with Michael Chandler. Though Chandler likely deserved to win their first meeting, Brooks outclassed him in the rematch, matching his athleticism and showing a wide gap in their technique.
This is a bout that Brooks should be able to show off in. Pearson is dangerous in his area, but Brooks simply is the far better athlete with more options. To defeat Pearson, Brooks should work from the outside with lots of kicks and long punches. In Pearson’s bout with Trinaldo, he simply accepted his fate of getting picked apart on the outside.
That may happen here, but it’s more likely that this will put the pressure on Pearson to close range and punch. Once that happens, Brooks can look for his explosive double leg to place Pearson on his back and dominate from there.
Bottom Line: This is Brooks long-awaited UFC debut against a proven fighter.
For Pearson, this is a massive opportunity — Brooks is entering this bout with a lot of eyes on him and is ranked rather highly. If “Real Deal” can pull off the upset, it would give him a major push toward the top of the division. This really isn’t a risky fight for Pearson, either. There’s not much to lose, as he’s been alternating wins and losses for some time now. Against such a hyped opponent, a loss would not cost the boxer any ground.
The stakes are far higher for Brooks. If there’s one flaw in his game, it’s that he’s been rocked a few times in the past, and Pearson can certainly punch. Should Brooks come all this way only to get knocked out in his debut, it would be a really devastating turn of events.
Alternatively, a win sets Brooks up for a big fight in his next appearance. He’s only five years into his career and has already been competing at an extraordinarily high level, so that suggests that there’s a lot of success in Brooks future. With a win, he’s set up to prove that his time now.
At The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, Ross Pearson and Will Brooks will battle. Which man will have his hand raised?