UFC veteran Ross Pearson announces pro boxing switch

Recently retired MMA star Ross Pearson is to make a sensational switch to professional boxing, the Sunderland striker has confirmed.

The UFC veteran brought the curtain down on his 15-year mixed martial arts career last month with a TKO loss to Desmond Green in Philadelphia. Pearson intimated at the time that he wasn’t finished as a competitor entirely, although not many could have predicted that the 34-year-old would be stepping foot into another combats sports arena quite so soon.

Pearson, who was born and raised in Sunderland but now resides on the New South Wales Central Coast in Australia, ended his UFC career on 12-13 (1 NC) for the promotion, with a record of 20-16 (1 NC) overall. In a surprising turn of events, he will now make his professional boxing bow on the undercard of Tim Tszyu vs. Joel Camilleri in Sydney on May 15.

“There’s a passion in boxing that was lit deep inside me from a young age,” ‘The Real Deal’ admitted in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph Australia. “It’s been a while since I knocked someone out, so on May 15 I’m looking to make a big statement.”

He will make his debut against a to-be-announced opponent at middleweight (160 lbs), and has been trained for the contest by one-time WBA middleweight title challenger Jamie Pittman.

Pearson won The Ultimate Fighter 9 Lightweight tournament back in 2009, and despite establishing a reputation as a gutsy contender at both 155 and 145 lbs (with a one-off appearance at 170lbs), he was never quite able to fight his way into title contention. Having lost six out of his last seven contests – being stopped in two of them – many will question whether the 37-fight veteran should be returning to the ring at all.