World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight Clint Godfrey is the latest victim of a nasty staph infection.

On Tuesday WEC officials announced Godfrey had been scratched from his Sept. 30 WEC 51 bout with Demetrious Johnson and replaced by Nick Pace.

Although officials didn't specify the reason, Godfrey today told MMAjunkie.com he contracted a MRSA staph infection in his right knee. He also sent along a photo of the infection site.

Todd Duffee knew what might be coming, but when word finally reached him that the world's biggest mixed-martial-arts promotion no longer needs his services, the heavyweight didn't know exactly how to react.

After just two fights in the UFC, Duffee's time in the octagon is over.

"I've had every emotion there is to have," Duffee told MMAjunkie.com in an exclusive interview. "Right now, I'm just kind of numb."

A lightweight bout between George Sotiropoulos and Joe Lauzon has been verbally agreed to by both fighters for UFC 123, MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the event.

Although not officially announced by the organization, UFC 123 takes place Nov. 20 at the The Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Mich.

A source told MMAjunkie.com a victory could earn Sotiropoulos a title shot.

KJ Noons must be drunk if he thinks he has a shot against Pacquiao or Mayweather. “I would love to welcome Pacquiao into MMA. It would be an ideal situation for him because I don’t take guys down to the ground, and after that’s all said and done in the cage, I would be willing [...]

Middleweights Kendall Grove and Demian Maia are set for The Ultimate Fighter season 12 finale on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. “December 4 live on spike tuff 12 final grove vs maia … I know he’s one of da best that’s y I took the fight I’m here to do it big and I know [...]

Lightweights Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon is expected to face off against TUF standout George Sotiropoulos at UFC 123 on Nov. 20th in Detroit, according to MMAMainia. Lauzon is coming off a total destruction of fellow TUF contestant Gabe Ruediger at UFC 118. Since his appearance on TUF 6, George Sotiropoulos has been on a roll, defeating [...]

Props: MMA Nation

Quoteworthy:

"That's his style. He likes to work those submissions. But I'm ready to defend those submissions with everything I have. I'm not letting him catch me in anything. I heard he's working very hard on his wrestling. I'm expecting him to be a great wrestler when it comes to his takedowns. If he shows up with anything less than that it'll be an easy night. But if he shows up with good takedowns I'll be able to display that I have good takedown defense. I'll have him on the bottom if he pulls guard or whatever and be able to work my ground and pound from there. But who knows? He could be a completely different fighter when I fight him... Not looking past Palhares, but winning this fight I'm gonna want a top guy. My goal is to get a title shot. I think I'm gonna have to beat one of those guys [Belfort or Okami] or maybe a Wanderlei Silva to get that shot."

With just one week to go until UFC Fight Night 22 goes down from Austin, Texas, one part of the show's main event made his claim as to why he'll walk away the victor. Nate Marquardt was just one win away, against Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, of earning himself another title shot. Now he has to work his way back up. The first man he'll have to defeat is Rousimar Palhares, a submission specialist who's coming off back-to-back victories via heel hook. It'll be no easy task to get by "Toquinho," but if he does, "The Great" is eyeing a top 185-pounder to jump right back in the title mix. Let's get some predictions on the UFC Fight Night 22 main event.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 debuts next Wednesday, Sept. 15, immediately following UFC Fight Night 22 on Spike TV. For our TUF 12 archive click here.

Props: Fight Hype

Quoteworthy:

"I would love to welcome Pacquiao into MMA. It would be an ideal situation for him because I don't take guys down to the ground, and after that's all said and done in the cage, I would be willing to step inside of the ring with him too, something we all knew Randy Couture wouldn't do with James Toney. I know Floyd (Mayweather) isn't looking to do MMA, but I would still be willing to fight Mayweather and Pacquiao in a boxing match and both camps have been reached, so we will see what happens. I will put it this way, both camps have been reached and both camps were very interested."

Just a few weeks before his rematch with Nick Diaz in San Jose, former Elite XC Lightweight Champion and current Strikeforce attraction KJ Noons lets it be known that he wants to be atop the very short list of professional fighters willing to throw hands with puissant pugilist Manny Pacquiao, who's been floating the idea of dabbling in mixed martial arts in between boxing mega-fights. Unfortunately the likelihood of ever seeing "Pac-Man" inside a cage is slim to none, but just to be safe, "King Karl" is also calling out Floyd Mayweather Jr. Is Noons just grabbing headlines? Or does his recent run in "the sweet science" put him in a position to challenge boxing's greatest fighters?

When Evan Dunham first stepped into the Octagon at UFC 95 against Per Eklund, it would have come off as a fool’s notion to think that just a year-and-a-half later the up-and-comer would be talking about Sean Sherk as a worthy opponent for him. It’s nothing cocky, it’s just the nature of mixed martial arts—put together a four-fight winning streak in the UFC en-route to an overall 11-0 professional record and suddenly former champions are turned into challengers in this sport.

It doesn’t help that Sherk hasn’t fought since a loss to Frankie Edgar in May of 2009—a length of time that stretches back further than Dunham’s entire time as a lightweight in the UFC—but still. It’s funny how quick a one-time cable guy from the Northwest can gain status over a battle-tested star in the game.   

“In Sean Sherk I see a former champion, someone who likes to push the pace and a very strong guy,� says the 29-year-old Dunham, whose first pro bout was three years ago. “But I also see a guy that hasn’t maybe evolved as much as other people in this sport. Not to take anything away from him, because what he does works. His only losses are to champs and former champs.�

When the two square off at UFC 119 on September 25 in Indianapolis, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dunham hopes to add a new category to Sherk’s “L� column—losses to future champs. If he keeps on beating the guys put in front of him, Dunham’s chance for that lightweight strap may occur sooner rather than later. The scary thing is not so much his unblemished record, but how he’s doing it.

Want to talk about well rounded? How’s this: Dunham knocked out Eklund in the first round in London, then decisioned Marcus Aurelio, then submitted the favorite Efrain Escudero at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January (armbar), before outworking his Xtreme Couture training partner Tyson Griffin for a split decision at UFC 115 in Vancouver. He has proven to be a durable grappler who can dictate a fight, a very good, rangy striker (courtesy of his coach, Shawn Yarborough) and a very experienced Jiu-Jitsu guy. Wherever the fight goes, Dunham is solid.

He also draws up and executes game plans very well. For that last fight against Griffin, it was just about as he and his camp drew it up.

“I feel like I did everything I needed to do right,� he says. “Basically I tried to stand up with him, stick and move and when the opportunity arrived get him down and into a dominant position. Everything went exactly as planned, except for being able to finish him. But he’s a really tough dude, and he’s got great defense. Before then nobody had been able to finish him in all of his fights, so I don’t let it get to me too much.�

As 5-foot-10 Dunham begins to pop up on people’s radars at 155, each fight attracts that much more attention. He hears his name being mentioned as a real threat in the division, but then again—founded or not—he isn’t about to feed into that kind of talk.

“I don’t think about that stuff,� says the Eugene, Oregon native now fighting out of Las Vegas. “I look at it like one thing at a time, and Sherk is somebody you don’t look past. All I’m thinking about right now is training my ass off to beat Sherk. Where everybody wants to put me, let them put me there. I’m not trying to think about that or deal with that now.

However, Dunham adds, “you always want to win. I wouldn’t say there’s more pressure, but the stakes are higher. You’ve got to win, and every fight is your biggest fight. I am kind of getting used to that idea now, that your upcoming fight is the biggest fight of your life, so train that way.�

He says he doesn’t have any apprehension fighting Sherk in the Midwest, where the fans will likely be rallying behind their regional guy from Minnesota. That sort of thing is better left to sentimentalists.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal, you know,� he says. “I honestly don’t hear the crowd once I get in there. I am going to focus on what I need to do and what I need to do is win. If they want to boo me or whatever, that’s cool.�

Though he didn’t wrestle beyond high school, the southpaw Dunham thinks he has a good wrestling antidote because of his high-powered partners at Couture’s (Gray Maynard, Griffin, et al). Then there’s his strength and conditioning coach, Norm Turner at Throwdown Training Center, who has helped with his takedown defense and offensive explosiveness.

Both things that he’ll need against a proven warrior like Sherk, whom Dunham expects to find in vintage form.

“I keep hearing about ring rust and all that, well, the guy’s been in the game for how long now?� he says. “I don’t think we’re going to see much of a different Sherk—he’s as dangerous as he’s always been and just as tough.

“I’m taking him very serious, just as I take everybody, and I’m sure [Sherk]’s been working on becoming a more well-rounded fighter. I’m not looking past him. He’s a tough guy and that’s what I’m expecting, and I’m training my ass off so I can match that level.�

As for how Dunham sees things playing out, Dunham won’t be surprised if things go to the ground or if the fight is spent in bulk on the feet.

“Just like every fight, I see it being three rounds of pure scrapping,� he says. “A lot of people say in his last couple of fights he’s been boxing more, but I have a feeling he’ll kind of go back to his roots. So I think he’s going to come in, throw some combinations and look to take me down, and I plan on stuffing those and keeping it standing, or countering and getting him on his back and grinding him out.

“If everything goes well, I hope to submit him—but I’m not counting on anything. I’m just planning for a three-round war, and being able to grind him out.�

Dunham knows if he does that, he’ll have successfully crossed off his biggest challenge to date—the changing of the guard.

A chance meeting with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar provided Sunderland scrapper Ross 'The Real Deal' Pearson with all the answers he was looking for. Over the course of seven days, Pearson quickly realized Edgar would be too strong for BJ Penn in their return match and also discovered just what it takes to reach and remain at the top of the lightweight pile.

“I recently visited Frankie's camp in New York and had the chance to train and wrestle with him and his Rutgers wrestling team,� says Pearson. “I learned so much from those guys in seven days. The stuff I've picked up has improved my game so much and also given me an insight into just how talented and hard-working the current UFC lightweight champ is.

“I wasn't working too much on taking guys down, but I was learning how to keep things on my feet and deal with a wrestler who wants to take me down. It was a tremendous experience, as Edgar is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, and the kind of fighter I wouldn't be able to work with back home in Britain. Frankie and his wrestling team were teaching me simple little things which, I think, may make the world of difference in my next fight.�

Champion Edgar impressively defeated Penn to retain his lightweight belt two weeks ago in Boston. The New Jersey battler shut down Penn's attack and bettered the talented Hawaiian in every area of the fight. Pearson, of course, saw it all coming.  

“I really believed in Edgar going into that fight,� explains Pearson. “Once you watch the guy train and see how well-rounded and disciplined is, it's hard not to back him in any fight. It's going to take a very special fighter to get the better of him right now. The more he wins and improves, the tougher it's going to be for the other lightweights out there.�

Though far too modest to admit it, Pearson is one of the 'other' lightweights he refers to and someone tipped to one day vault his way to the top of the 155-pound pile. A winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season nine, Pearson has since defeated Aaron Riley and Dennis Siver in back-to-back fights and, at 25 years of age, has plenty of room for growth in Edgar's weight class.

The heavy-handed Brit cut through veteran Riley in one of the more impressive UFC debuts of recent years, and also handed German Siver his only defeat in his last six fights. However, despite beating a man rarely budged inside the Octagon, Pearson was left wanting more that night in March.

“Hats off to Dennis Siver,� recalls Pearson. “He was a tricky and skillful opponent and was a world champion kickboxer. He knew what he was doing in there and he gave me a decent test over three rounds. He had been in there with some good guys before. I just think I was able to make Siver work at a range he didn't like to work at, and it paid off. That meant I was catching him when he didn't expect me to, and I was taking him out of his own range and game plan.

“I was happy with the way I executed the game plan, and pleased I got the win, but I was also disappointed I wasn't able to finish the fight. You always look to finish fights in the UFC, and it was a shame I couldn't have put the cherry on the cake.�

Currently 13-3 in his flourishing mixed martial arts career, Pearson counts the victory over Siver as his best result to date, yet believes he performed to his best last November against Riley. Mixing up kicks and punches with vicious knees in the clinch, Pearson unleashed his full repertoire on Riley last year, endearing him to both the fans in attendance and those watching at home. Pearson was relentless and enthralling from the get-go and Riley, a durable trier capable of extending and beating prospects, simply had no answer.

“I think the Siver win was the best of my career so far, in terms of the reputation of the opponent and the risk factor, but, as far as performances go, I don't feel it was my best performance,� admits Pearson. “I comfortably beat Siver, but I didn't feel like I fully dominated him how I wanted to. I think I performed better against Aaron Riley (in my UFC debut), to be honest, as I dominated him from start to finish and forced the end of the fight. That was me at my best – but there's still plenty more to come.

“Dana White always says that when a fighter feels like the Octagon is his home, it makes him a dangerous man. Well, I'm starting to feel like the Octagon is my home right now and I'm feeling more and more confident with each and every fight.  

While Pearson can argue the merits of his opening two Octagon victories, he can take pride in boasting an unblemished UFC slate and a reputation as one of England's most promising mixed martial artists. Such was the ease at which he cut through Riley and Siver, Pearson has now been handed a substantial step up in class for UFC bout number three. Scheduled to appear at UFC Fight Night on September 15, Pearson lines up against Cole Miller, an angular and talented submission artist possessing long enough limbs to trouble Ross in all areas of the fight.

“When I first heard about Cole as an opponent, I was just excited and eager to get the training camp started, but then when we got the video tapes of Cole's fights, I realized just what an awkward and tricky opponent he is,� reveals Pearson. “A lot of hard work has gone into this fight, basically to keep the fight where I want the fight. If I can keep this fight where I want it to take place, then Cole is going to be in whole lot of trouble.

“I don't think he's fought anybody as technical or seasoned in the stand-up as me. I don't think he will have seen the kind of punches and kicks I'll be throwing his way before. The pressure, the explosiveness and the power that I'm bringing is going to be too much for him on the night. �

So where should Pearson choose to take the fight? Armed with tight, accurate and powerful boxing skills, Pearson is ferocious at close range and in clinches, and possesses the kind of takedown defense that other British fighters have struggled to locate at times of need. Miller, on the other hand, has been stopped by punchers in previous defeats, yet remains incredibly dangerous in any impending ground battle.

“The type of strikers that have beaten Cole previously aren't really the type of strikers I am,� warns Ross. “I feel I'm a level above those guys and am more comfortable with my boxing than they are. If I can keep the fight where I want it, and keep it all in my range, then I really don't see Cole causing me too much of a problem. I'm not underestimating or bad mouthing him in any way, as I truly respect his skills, but I'm very confident of getting this win. I know fully well that Cole is very dangerous in the positions he wants to be in and, if I mess up at any stage, he is more than good enough to capitalize on my errors.�

Wins over Riley and Siver have jump started the Pearson hype train, and yet the fighter himself admits he's still to be tested in any ground confrontation. So far able to retain a standing stance and strike – with both Riley and Siver willing partners – the Sunderland native relishes the idea of testing a new dimension of his game against floor specialist Miller.

“He's definitely one of the best grapplers I've fought, but I also train with some amazing grapplers,� says Pearson. “I'm not saying they are as good as Cole, but they are really high-level grapplers and know what they're doing. Fighting and training are two very different things, of course, but we're working together on a daily basis and I'm now becoming familiar with certain positions and situations on the ground. It's all feeling very natural right now. My ground game is getting better all the time.

“Cole will test me as a mixed martial artist and will act as a good gauge of where I'm at right now in the sport. I'm not just going in there with another guy that wants to stand and bang. I'm facing a guy who wants to do the complete opposite to what I do, and that's both challenging and exciting. Cole is able to stand and punch, take you down, jump clinch, jump guard and lock in submissions. He's a very versatile fighter, and I'm going to have to be on my toes at all times. This fight is going to make me step up to that next level and show people just how good my MMA skills are. This will bring out the very best in me.�

Here's where Edgar enters the scene. Having watched New Jersey's finest rise to the precipice of the lightweight division through a combination of hard graft and top wrestling, Pearson has learned to relax and perfect the aspects of the game that come naturally to him.

“Believe it or not, I'm not too fussed about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, simply because I'm not a BJJ type of fighter,� explains Pearson. “If I can control a guy and defend submissions, then I'll eventually get the fight where I want it to go. I'm happier doing that than trying to force something that just doesn't come naturally to me.

“It's not as if I'm not training any jiu-jitsu, but I'm focusing more on my wrestling and my ability to control Cole and get the fight into my territory. Why should I try and beat Cole at jiu-jitsu, when that's his best asset? Cole has been training jiu-jitsu for years and it would be foolish to even try and compete at his own game. It would be silly of me to put myself in that situation. I'm doing everything I can to improve my jiu-jitsu, but it's never going to match up to the level that Cole is at right now. I'll probably never be as good as Cole Miller at jiu-jitsu in ten years. In a pure jiu-jitsu battle, he'd beat me hands down. That's just something you have to deal with and work around, and that's what I've done.�

Refreshingly honest and grounded in his approach, Pearson speaks and thinks like a fan. After all, that's precisely what he once was, years before the dream of winning The Ultimate Fighter came to fruition.

“I'm a massive fan of the sport, as well as a fighter, and I'm keen to see how my skills will match up against someone like Cole Miller,� beams Pearson. “If I wasn't fighting, I'd be at home watching, as intrigued as everyone else to see who comes out on top. This is a great match-up and a great blend of styles, and I'm excited by the challenge ahead.

“Cole has been in there against some good guys and has never been blown away of disgraced. He might not win every fight, but Cole is always in there fighting and looking to win. He never goes in there just to survive or get out as quickly as he can. I know I'm in for a war with him. These are the kind of guys that I want to fight. I want to fight guys that come at me and challenge me. Even though Cole wants the fight in his area, I've got no doubt he'll be looking to make a fight of it. I can see this fight being very fast-paced and exciting for as long as it lasts.�


 

W2 Shonie Carter – September 24, 2000 – Pancrase 2000 Anniversary Show
Marquardt turned pro in April of 1999, three days before his 20th birthday, and by the end of that year, he was 6-1 and fighting in Japan. It was a whirlwind ride for the youngster, who made an international statement on September 24, 2000 by defeating Kiuma Kunioku and Shonie Carter on the same night to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. As Marquardt told me back before his 2001 bout against Gil Castillo, “It was pretty unbelievable.  Actually it was kind of shocking because it was something that I had only dreamed about when I was younger, watching older fighters like Funaki and Shamrock.  It was pretty unbelievable, and it took a few months for it to actually set in that I had won such a big title.â€�

L5 Gil Castillo – July 18, 2001 – IFC Warriors Challenge 14
Following his win over Carter for the King of Pancrase title, Marquardt fought three more times in Japan before what he hoped to be a triumphant homecoming against unbeaten grappling ace Gil Castillo. It wasn’t meant to be, as Castillo earned a five round split decision win, but it was a memorable battle between two of the best in the world at the time, and reminded US fans that Marquardt was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. As for Castillo, the win propelled him into the UFC, where he fought for the middleweight (against Dave Menne) and welterweight (against Matt Hughes) titles. As for Marquardt, it was back to Japan.

W3 Dean Lister – January 25, 2007 – Ultimate Fight Night 8
After the loss to Castillo, Marquardt continued to ply his trade in the Land of the Rising Sun, returning to fight in the States only once over the next four years, a first round win over Steve Gomm in a 2003 IFC match. In Pancrase, he certified himself as a star, with wins over the likes of future PRIDE standout Kazuo Misaki (twice). But following his May 2005 victory over Izuru Takeuchi, Marquardt vacated the King of Pancrase crown and made his long-awaited signing with the UFC. He won his first three Octagon bouts over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, and Crafton Wallace, but didn’t really set the world on fire. His win over Dean Lister did the trick though, as he scored a lopsided victory over the jiu-jitsu wizard that saw him hurt and drop his opponent numerous times throughout the three round scrap. And now with a perfect 4-0 Octagon record, his next fight would be for the title.

TKO by 1 Anderson Silva – July 7, 2007 – UFC 73
By the time Marquardt stepped into the Octagon to face Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title, “The Spider� had wrecked Chris Leben in 49 seconds, did a similar smash-up job on Rich Franklin, and submitted a Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Travis Lutter. Marquardt, who had been around the MMA block more than once, bought into what everyone was saying about the champion, and ten seconds before the end of the first round, he was stopped and sent back to the drawing board. “I started to believe what everyone was saying about how dangerous he was and what a good standup fighter he was,� he told me after the fight. “Looking back, I let everyone’s perception of the fight kinda change my view of the fight as well. I should have just gone out there and fought my fight. I started out that way, and through the fight it kinda changed. To be honest, I believe I’m a better standup fighter than he is and I believe I’m more dangerous than him, and I should have kept that frame of mind the whole fight. And all of a sudden he caught me with a shot right at the end of the round, and instead of attacking I went into defending mode.�

TKO3 Wilson Gouveia – February 21, 2009 – UFC 95
Slowly, but surely, Marquardt fought his way back into the middleweight title picture, submitting Jeremy Horn and stopping Martin Kampmann, with only a controversial decision loss to Thales Leites marring his run. But it was in his third round stoppage of Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95 that the MMA world started to think, ‘hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing Silva-Marquardt II.� And the reason for those sentiments came primarily from Marquardt’s finish of Gouveia, which encompassed a dizzying array of striking techniques that looked like they came straight out of a video game. It was a “new� Nate Marquardt, but as he explained, his in the Octagon mean streak was always there, it just needed a little prodding to make itself seen again. “I think I’ve always had that mean streak in me, and I kinda lost it there for a little while just because certain things changed in the way I was fighting,� he said. “Then the loss to Anderson (Silva) gave me it back.�

KO1 Demian Maia – August 29, 2009 – UFC 102
If the stoppages of Kampmann and Gouveia made people sit up and take notice when it came to Marquardt’s worthiness for a return bout with Anderson Silva, his 21 second blitz of Demian Maia got people stomping their feet for “Nate the Great� to get a rematch. And again, it wasn’t just Marquardt’s physical gifts earning him spectacular victories, it was his renewed mental approach to the game. “It is a sport, but it’s also a fight,� he said. “It’s not a game. You’re out there and you can really get hurt. You could be winning the fight, but at any moment, if you make the wrong move, you can get knocked out or choked out, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how you’re doing, you’re in there to fight and to finish the guy. For a while, I was looking at it as more of a sport.�

Not anymore though. And even with his subsequent decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, his punishing performance and near-finish of Sonnen late made it clear that he is still one of the top middleweights on the planet. All he needs now is a win over Palhares this month, and he’ll be knocking on that door for a title shot once again.

When Evan Dunham first stepped into the Octagon at UFC 95 against Per Eklund, it would have come off as a fool’s notion to think that just a year-and-a-half later the up-and-comer would be talking about Sean Sherk as a worthy opponent for him. It’s nothing cocky, it’s just the nature of mixed martial arts—put together a four-fight winning streak in the UFC en-route to an overall 11-0 professional record and suddenly former champions are turned into challengers in this sport.

It doesn’t help that Sherk hasn’t fought since a loss to Frankie Edgar in May of 2009—a length of time that stretches back further than Dunham’s entire time as a lightweight in the UFC—but still. It’s funny how quick a one-time cable guy from the Northwest can gain status over a battle-tested star in the game.   

“In Sean Sherk I see a former champion, someone who likes to push the pace and a very strong guy,� says the 29-year-old Dunham, whose first pro bout was three years ago. “But I also see a guy that hasn’t maybe evolved as much as other people in this sport. Not to take anything away from him, because what he does works. His only losses are to champs and former champs.�

When the two square off at UFC 119 on September 25 in Indianapolis, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dunham hopes to add a new category to Sherk’s “L� column—losses to future champs. If he keeps on beating the guys put in front of him, Dunham’s chance for that lightweight strap may occur sooner rather than later. The scary thing is not so much his unblemished record, but how he’s doing it.

Want to talk about well rounded? How’s this: Dunham knocked out Eklund in the first round in London, then decisioned Marcus Aurelio, then submitted the favorite Efrain Escudero at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January (armbar), before outworking his Xtreme Couture training partner Tyson Griffin for a split decision at UFC 115 in Vancouver. He has proven to be a durable grappler who can dictate a fight, a very good, rangy striker (courtesy of his coach, Shawn Yarborough) and a very experienced Jiu-Jitsu guy. Wherever the fight goes, Dunham is solid.

He also draws up and executes game plans very well. For that last fight against Griffin, it was just about as he and his camp drew it up.

“I feel like I did everything I needed to do right,� he says. “Basically I tried to stand up with him, stick and move and when the opportunity arrived get him down and into a dominant position. Everything went exactly as planned, except for being able to finish him. But he’s a really tough dude, and he’s got great defense. Before then nobody had been able to finish him in all of his fights, so I don’t let it get to me too much.�

As 5-foot-10 Dunham begins to pop up on people’s radars at 155, each fight attracts that much more attention. He hears his name being mentioned as a real threat in the division, but then again—founded or not—he isn’t about to feed into that kind of talk.

“I don’t think about that stuff,� says the Eugene, Oregon native now fighting out of Las Vegas. “I look at it like one thing at a time, and Sherk is somebody you don’t look past. All I’m thinking about right now is training my ass off to beat Sherk. Where everybody wants to put me, let them put me there. I’m not trying to think about that or deal with that now.

However, Dunham adds, “you always want to win. I wouldn’t say there’s more pressure, but the stakes are higher. You’ve got to win, and every fight is your biggest fight. I am kind of getting used to that idea now, that your upcoming fight is the biggest fight of your life, so train that way.�

He says he doesn’t have any apprehension fighting Sherk in the Midwest, where the fans will likely be rallying behind their regional guy from Minnesota. That sort of thing is better left to sentimentalists.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal, you know,� he says. “I honestly don’t hear the crowd once I get in there. I am going to focus on what I need to do and what I need to do is win. If they want to boo me or whatever, that’s cool.�

Though he didn’t wrestle beyond high school, the southpaw Dunham thinks he has a good wrestling antidote because of his high-powered partners at Couture’s (Gray Maynard, Griffin, et al). Then there’s his strength and conditioning coach, Norm Turner at Throwdown Training Center, who has helped with his takedown defense and offensive explosiveness.

Both things that he’ll need against a proven warrior like Sherk, whom Dunham expects to find in vintage form.

“I keep hearing about ring rust and all that, well, the guy’s been in the game for how long now?� he says. “I don’t think we’re going to see much of a different Sherk—he’s as dangerous as he’s always been and just as tough.

“I’m taking him very serious, just as I take everybody, and I’m sure [Sherk]’s been working on becoming a more well-rounded fighter. I’m not looking past him. He’s a tough guy and that’s what I’m expecting, and I’m training my ass off so I can match that level.�

As for how Dunham sees things playing out, Dunham won’t be surprised if things go to the ground or if the fight is spent in bulk on the feet.

“Just like every fight, I see it being three rounds of pure scrapping,� he says. “A lot of people say in his last couple of fights he’s been boxing more, but I have a feeling he’ll kind of go back to his roots. So I think he’s going to come in, throw some combinations and look to take me down, and I plan on stuffing those and keeping it standing, or countering and getting him on his back and grinding him out.

“If everything goes well, I hope to submit him—but I’m not counting on anything. I’m just planning for a three-round war, and being able to grind him out.�

Dunham knows if he does that, he’ll have successfully crossed off his biggest challenge to date—the changing of the guard.

A chance meeting with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar provided Sunderland scrapper Ross 'The Real Deal' Pearson with all the answers he was looking for. Over the course of seven days, Pearson quickly realized Edgar would be too strong for BJ Penn in their return match and also discovered just what it takes to reach and remain at the top of the lightweight pile.

“I recently visited Frankie's camp in New York and had the chance to train and wrestle with him and his Rutgers wrestling team,� says Pearson. “I learned so much from those guys in seven days. The stuff I've picked up has improved my game so much and also given me an insight into just how talented and hard-working the current UFC lightweight champ is.

“I wasn't working too much on taking guys down, but I was learning how to keep things on my feet and deal with a wrestler who wants to take me down. It was a tremendous experience, as Edgar is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, and the kind of fighter I wouldn't be able to work with back home in Britain. Frankie and his wrestling team were teaching me simple little things which, I think, may make the world of difference in my next fight.�

Champion Edgar impressively defeated Penn to retain his lightweight belt two weeks ago in Boston. The New Jersey battler shut down Penn's attack and bettered the talented Hawaiian in every area of the fight. Pearson, of course, saw it all coming.  

“I really believed in Edgar going into that fight,� explains Pearson. “Once you watch the guy train and see how well-rounded and disciplined is, it's hard not to back him in any fight. It's going to take a very special fighter to get the better of him right now. The more he wins and improves, the tougher it's going to be for the other lightweights out there.�

Though far too modest to admit it, Pearson is one of the 'other' lightweights he refers to and someone tipped to one day vault his way to the top of the 155-pound pile. A winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season nine, Pearson has since defeated Aaron Riley and Dennis Siver in back-to-back fights and, at 25 years of age, has plenty of room for growth in Edgar's weight class.

The heavy-handed Brit cut through veteran Riley in one of the more impressive UFC debuts of recent years, and also handed German Siver his only defeat in his last six fights. However, despite beating a man rarely budged inside the Octagon, Pearson was left wanting more that night in March.

“Hats off to Dennis Siver,� recalls Pearson. “He was a tricky and skillful opponent and was a world champion kickboxer. He knew what he was doing in there and he gave me a decent test over three rounds. He had been in there with some good guys before. I just think I was able to make Siver work at a range he didn't like to work at, and it paid off. That meant I was catching him when he didn't expect me to, and I was taking him out of his own range and game plan.

“I was happy with the way I executed the game plan, and pleased I got the win, but I was also disappointed I wasn't able to finish the fight. You always look to finish fights in the UFC, and it was a shame I couldn't have put the cherry on the cake.�

Currently 13-3 in his flourishing mixed martial arts career, Pearson counts the victory over Siver as his best result to date, yet believes he performed to his best last November against Riley. Mixing up kicks and punches with vicious knees in the clinch, Pearson unleashed his full repertoire on Riley last year, endearing him to both the fans in attendance and those watching at home. Pearson was relentless and enthralling from the get-go and Riley, a durable trier capable of extending and beating prospects, simply had no answer.

“I think the Siver win was the best of my career so far, in terms of the reputation of the opponent and the risk factor, but, as far as performances go, I don't feel it was my best performance,� admits Pearson. “I comfortably beat Siver, but I didn't feel like I fully dominated him how I wanted to. I think I performed better against Aaron Riley (in my UFC debut), to be honest, as I dominated him from start to finish and forced the end of the fight. That was me at my best – but there's still plenty more to come.

“Dana White always says that when a fighter feels like the Octagon is his home, it makes him a dangerous man. Well, I'm starting to feel like the Octagon is my home right now and I'm feeling more and more confident with each and every fight.  

While Pearson can argue the merits of his opening two Octagon victories, he can take pride in boasting an unblemished UFC slate and a reputation as one of England's most promising mixed martial artists. Such was the ease at which he cut through Riley and Siver, Pearson has now been handed a substantial step up in class for UFC bout number three. Scheduled to appear at UFC Fight Night on September 15, Pearson lines up against Cole Miller, an angular and talented submission artist possessing long enough limbs to trouble Ross in all areas of the fight.

“When I first heard about Cole as an opponent, I was just excited and eager to get the training camp started, but then when we got the video tapes of Cole's fights, I realized just what an awkward and tricky opponent he is,� reveals Pearson. “A lot of hard work has gone into this fight, basically to keep the fight where I want the fight. If I can keep this fight where I want it to take place, then Cole is going to be in whole lot of trouble.

“I don't think he's fought anybody as technical or seasoned in the stand-up as me. I don't think he will have seen the kind of punches and kicks I'll be throwing his way before. The pressure, the explosiveness and the power that I'm bringing is going to be too much for him on the night. �

So where should Pearson choose to take the fight? Armed with tight, accurate and powerful boxing skills, Pearson is ferocious at close range and in clinches, and possesses the kind of takedown defense that other British fighters have struggled to locate at times of need. Miller, on the other hand, has been stopped by punchers in previous defeats, yet remains incredibly dangerous in any impending ground battle.

“The type of strikers that have beaten Cole previously aren't really the type of strikers I am,� warns Ross. “I feel I'm a level above those guys and am more comfortable with my boxing than they are. If I can keep the fight where I want it, and keep it all in my range, then I really don't see Cole causing me too much of a problem. I'm not underestimating or bad mouthing him in any way, as I truly respect his skills, but I'm very confident of getting this win. I know fully well that Cole is very dangerous in the positions he wants to be in and, if I mess up at any stage, he is more than good enough to capitalize on my errors.�

Wins over Riley and Siver have jump started the Pearson hype train, and yet the fighter himself admits he's still to be tested in any ground confrontation. So far able to retain a standing stance and strike – with both Riley and Siver willing partners – the Sunderland native relishes the idea of testing a new dimension of his game against floor specialist Miller.

“He's definitely one of the best grapplers I've fought, but I also train with some amazing grapplers,� says Pearson. “I'm not saying they are as good as Cole, but they are really high-level grapplers and know what they're doing. Fighting and training are two very different things, of course, but we're working together on a daily basis and I'm now becoming familiar with certain positions and situations on the ground. It's all feeling very natural right now. My ground game is getting better all the time.

“Cole will test me as a mixed martial artist and will act as a good gauge of where I'm at right now in the sport. I'm not just going in there with another guy that wants to stand and bang. I'm facing a guy who wants to do the complete opposite to what I do, and that's both challenging and exciting. Cole is able to stand and punch, take you down, jump clinch, jump guard and lock in submissions. He's a very versatile fighter, and I'm going to have to be on my toes at all times. This fight is going to make me step up to that next level and show people just how good my MMA skills are. This will bring out the very best in me.�

Here's where Edgar enters the scene. Having watched New Jersey's finest rise to the precipice of the lightweight division through a combination of hard graft and top wrestling, Pearson has learned to relax and perfect the aspects of the game that come naturally to him.

“Believe it or not, I'm not too fussed about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, simply because I'm not a BJJ type of fighter,� explains Pearson. “If I can control a guy and defend submissions, then I'll eventually get the fight where I want it to go. I'm happier doing that than trying to force something that just doesn't come naturally to me.

“It's not as if I'm not training any jiu-jitsu, but I'm focusing more on my wrestling and my ability to control Cole and get the fight into my territory. Why should I try and beat Cole at jiu-jitsu, when that's his best asset? Cole has been training jiu-jitsu for years and it would be foolish to even try and compete at his own game. It would be silly of me to put myself in that situation. I'm doing everything I can to improve my jiu-jitsu, but it's never going to match up to the level that Cole is at right now. I'll probably never be as good as Cole Miller at jiu-jitsu in ten years. In a pure jiu-jitsu battle, he'd beat me hands down. That's just something you have to deal with and work around, and that's what I've done.�

Refreshingly honest and grounded in his approach, Pearson speaks and thinks like a fan. After all, that's precisely what he once was, years before the dream of winning The Ultimate Fighter came to fruition.

“I'm a massive fan of the sport, as well as a fighter, and I'm keen to see how my skills will match up against someone like Cole Miller,� beams Pearson. “If I wasn't fighting, I'd be at home watching, as intrigued as everyone else to see who comes out on top. This is a great match-up and a great blend of styles, and I'm excited by the challenge ahead.

“Cole has been in there against some good guys and has never been blown away of disgraced. He might not win every fight, but Cole is always in there fighting and looking to win. He never goes in there just to survive or get out as quickly as he can. I know I'm in for a war with him. These are the kind of guys that I want to fight. I want to fight guys that come at me and challenge me. Even though Cole wants the fight in his area, I've got no doubt he'll be looking to make a fight of it. I can see this fight being very fast-paced and exciting for as long as it lasts.�


 

W2 Shonie Carter – September 24, 2000 – Pancrase 2000 Anniversary Show
Marquardt turned pro in April of 1999, three days before his 20th birthday, and by the end of that year, he was 6-1 and fighting in Japan. It was a whirlwind ride for the youngster, who made an international statement on September 24, 2000 by defeating Kiuma Kunioku and Shonie Carter on the same night to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. As Marquardt told me back before his 2001 bout against Gil Castillo, “It was pretty unbelievable.  Actually it was kind of shocking because it was something that I had only dreamed about when I was younger, watching older fighters like Funaki and Shamrock.  It was pretty unbelievable, and it took a few months for it to actually set in that I had won such a big title.â€�

L5 Gil Castillo – July 18, 2001 – IFC Warriors Challenge 14
Following his win over Carter for the King of Pancrase title, Marquardt fought three more times in Japan before what he hoped to be a triumphant homecoming against unbeaten grappling ace Gil Castillo. It wasn’t meant to be, as Castillo earned a five round split decision win, but it was a memorable battle between two of the best in the world at the time, and reminded US fans that Marquardt was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. As for Castillo, the win propelled him into the UFC, where he fought for the middleweight (against Dave Menne) and welterweight (against Matt Hughes) titles. As for Marquardt, it was back to Japan.

W3 Dean Lister – January 25, 2007 – Ultimate Fight Night 8
After the loss to Castillo, Marquardt continued to ply his trade in the Land of the Rising Sun, returning to fight in the States only once over the next four years, a first round win over Steve Gomm in a 2003 IFC match. In Pancrase, he certified himself as a star, with wins over the likes of future PRIDE standout Kazuo Misaki (twice). But following his May 2005 victory over Izuru Takeuchi, Marquardt vacated the King of Pancrase crown and made his long-awaited signing with the UFC. He won his first three Octagon bouts over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, and Crafton Wallace, but didn’t really set the world on fire. His win over Dean Lister did the trick though, as he scored a lopsided victory over the jiu-jitsu wizard that saw him hurt and drop his opponent numerous times throughout the three round scrap. And now with a perfect 4-0 Octagon record, his next fight would be for the title.

TKO by 1 Anderson Silva – July 7, 2007 – UFC 73
By the time Marquardt stepped into the Octagon to face Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title, “The Spider� had wrecked Chris Leben in 49 seconds, did a similar smash-up job on Rich Franklin, and submitted a Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Travis Lutter. Marquardt, who had been around the MMA block more than once, bought into what everyone was saying about the champion, and ten seconds before the end of the first round, he was stopped and sent back to the drawing board. “I started to believe what everyone was saying about how dangerous he was and what a good standup fighter he was,� he told me after the fight. “Looking back, I let everyone’s perception of the fight kinda change my view of the fight as well. I should have just gone out there and fought my fight. I started out that way, and through the fight it kinda changed. To be honest, I believe I’m a better standup fighter than he is and I believe I’m more dangerous than him, and I should have kept that frame of mind the whole fight. And all of a sudden he caught me with a shot right at the end of the round, and instead of attacking I went into defending mode.�

TKO3 Wilson Gouveia – February 21, 2009 – UFC 95
Slowly, but surely, Marquardt fought his way back into the middleweight title picture, submitting Jeremy Horn and stopping Martin Kampmann, with only a controversial decision loss to Thales Leites marring his run. But it was in his third round stoppage of Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95 that the MMA world started to think, ‘hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing Silva-Marquardt II.� And the reason for those sentiments came primarily from Marquardt’s finish of Gouveia, which encompassed a dizzying array of striking techniques that looked like they came straight out of a video game. It was a “new� Nate Marquardt, but as he explained, his in the Octagon mean streak was always there, it just needed a little prodding to make itself seen again. “I think I’ve always had that mean streak in me, and I kinda lost it there for a little while just because certain things changed in the way I was fighting,� he said. “Then the loss to Anderson (Silva) gave me it back.�

KO1 Demian Maia – August 29, 2009 – UFC 102
If the stoppages of Kampmann and Gouveia made people sit up and take notice when it came to Marquardt’s worthiness for a return bout with Anderson Silva, his 21 second blitz of Demian Maia got people stomping their feet for “Nate the Great� to get a rematch. And again, it wasn’t just Marquardt’s physical gifts earning him spectacular victories, it was his renewed mental approach to the game. “It is a sport, but it’s also a fight,� he said. “It’s not a game. You’re out there and you can really get hurt. You could be winning the fight, but at any moment, if you make the wrong move, you can get knocked out or choked out, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how you’re doing, you’re in there to fight and to finish the guy. For a while, I was looking at it as more of a sport.�

Not anymore though. And even with his subsequent decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, his punishing performance and near-finish of Sonnen late made it clear that he is still one of the top middleweights on the planet. All he needs now is a win over Palhares this month, and he’ll be knocking on that door for a title shot once again.

When Evan Dunham first stepped into the Octagon at UFC 95 against Per Eklund, it would have come off as a fool’s notion to think that just a year-and-a-half later the up-and-comer would be talking about Sean Sherk as a worthy opponent for him. It’s nothing cocky, it’s just the nature of mixed martial arts—put together a four-fight winning streak in the UFC en-route to an overall 11-0 professional record and suddenly former champions are turned into challengers in this sport.

It doesn’t help that Sherk hasn’t fought since a loss to Frankie Edgar in May of 2009—a length of time that stretches back further than Dunham’s entire time as a lightweight in the UFC—but still. It’s funny how quick a one-time cable guy from the Northwest can gain status over a battle-tested star in the game.   

“In Sean Sherk I see a former champion, someone who likes to push the pace and a very strong guy,� says the 29-year-old Dunham, whose first pro bout was three years ago. “But I also see a guy that hasn’t maybe evolved as much as other people in this sport. Not to take anything away from him, because what he does works. His only losses are to champs and former champs.�

When the two square off at UFC 119 on September 25 in Indianapolis, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dunham hopes to add a new category to Sherk’s “L� column—losses to future champs. If he keeps on beating the guys put in front of him, Dunham’s chance for that lightweight strap may occur sooner rather than later. The scary thing is not so much his unblemished record, but how he’s doing it.

Want to talk about well rounded? How’s this: Dunham knocked out Eklund in the first round in London, then decisioned Marcus Aurelio, then submitted the favorite Efrain Escudero at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January (armbar), before outworking his Xtreme Couture training partner Tyson Griffin for a split decision at UFC 115 in Vancouver. He has proven to be a durable grappler who can dictate a fight, a very good, rangy striker (courtesy of his coach, Shawn Yarborough) and a very experienced Jiu-Jitsu guy. Wherever the fight goes, Dunham is solid.

He also draws up and executes game plans very well. For that last fight against Griffin, it was just about as he and his camp drew it up.

“I feel like I did everything I needed to do right,� he says. “Basically I tried to stand up with him, stick and move and when the opportunity arrived get him down and into a dominant position. Everything went exactly as planned, except for being able to finish him. But he’s a really tough dude, and he’s got great defense. Before then nobody had been able to finish him in all of his fights, so I don’t let it get to me too much.�

As 5-foot-10 Dunham begins to pop up on people’s radars at 155, each fight attracts that much more attention. He hears his name being mentioned as a real threat in the division, but then again—founded or not—he isn’t about to feed into that kind of talk.

“I don’t think about that stuff,� says the Eugene, Oregon native now fighting out of Las Vegas. “I look at it like one thing at a time, and Sherk is somebody you don’t look past. All I’m thinking about right now is training my ass off to beat Sherk. Where everybody wants to put me, let them put me there. I’m not trying to think about that or deal with that now.

However, Dunham adds, “you always want to win. I wouldn’t say there’s more pressure, but the stakes are higher. You’ve got to win, and every fight is your biggest fight. I am kind of getting used to that idea now, that your upcoming fight is the biggest fight of your life, so train that way.�

He says he doesn’t have any apprehension fighting Sherk in the Midwest, where the fans will likely be rallying behind their regional guy from Minnesota. That sort of thing is better left to sentimentalists.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal, you know,� he says. “I honestly don’t hear the crowd once I get in there. I am going to focus on what I need to do and what I need to do is win. If they want to boo me or whatever, that’s cool.�

Though he didn’t wrestle beyond high school, the southpaw Dunham thinks he has a good wrestling antidote because of his high-powered partners at Couture’s (Gray Maynard, Griffin, et al). Then there’s his strength and conditioning coach, Norm Turner at Throwdown Training Center, who has helped with his takedown defense and offensive explosiveness.

Both things that he’ll need against a proven warrior like Sherk, whom Dunham expects to find in vintage form.

“I keep hearing about ring rust and all that, well, the guy’s been in the game for how long now?� he says. “I don’t think we’re going to see much of a different Sherk—he’s as dangerous as he’s always been and just as tough.

“I’m taking him very serious, just as I take everybody, and I’m sure [Sherk]’s been working on becoming a more well-rounded fighter. I’m not looking past him. He’s a tough guy and that’s what I’m expecting, and I’m training my ass off so I can match that level.�

As for how Dunham sees things playing out, Dunham won’t be surprised if things go to the ground or if the fight is spent in bulk on the feet.

“Just like every fight, I see it being three rounds of pure scrapping,� he says. “A lot of people say in his last couple of fights he’s been boxing more, but I have a feeling he’ll kind of go back to his roots. So I think he’s going to come in, throw some combinations and look to take me down, and I plan on stuffing those and keeping it standing, or countering and getting him on his back and grinding him out.

“If everything goes well, I hope to submit him—but I’m not counting on anything. I’m just planning for a three-round war, and being able to grind him out.�

Dunham knows if he does that, he’ll have successfully crossed off his biggest challenge to date—the changing of the guard.

A chance meeting with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar provided Sunderland scrapper Ross 'The Real Deal' Pearson with all the answers he was looking for. Over the course of seven days, Pearson quickly realized Edgar would be too strong for BJ Penn in their return match and also discovered just what it takes to reach and remain at the top of the lightweight pile.

“I recently visited Frankie's camp in New York and had the chance to train and wrestle with him and his Rutgers wrestling team,� says Pearson. “I learned so much from those guys in seven days. The stuff I've picked up has improved my game so much and also given me an insight into just how talented and hard-working the current UFC lightweight champ is.

“I wasn't working too much on taking guys down, but I was learning how to keep things on my feet and deal with a wrestler who wants to take me down. It was a tremendous experience, as Edgar is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, and the kind of fighter I wouldn't be able to work with back home in Britain. Frankie and his wrestling team were teaching me simple little things which, I think, may make the world of difference in my next fight.�

Champion Edgar impressively defeated Penn to retain his lightweight belt two weeks ago in Boston. The New Jersey battler shut down Penn's attack and bettered the talented Hawaiian in every area of the fight. Pearson, of course, saw it all coming.  

“I really believed in Edgar going into that fight,� explains Pearson. “Once you watch the guy train and see how well-rounded and disciplined is, it's hard not to back him in any fight. It's going to take a very special fighter to get the better of him right now. The more he wins and improves, the tougher it's going to be for the other lightweights out there.�

Though far too modest to admit it, Pearson is one of the 'other' lightweights he refers to and someone tipped to one day vault his way to the top of the 155-pound pile. A winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season nine, Pearson has since defeated Aaron Riley and Dennis Siver in back-to-back fights and, at 25 years of age, has plenty of room for growth in Edgar's weight class.

The heavy-handed Brit cut through veteran Riley in one of the more impressive UFC debuts of recent years, and also handed German Siver his only defeat in his last six fights. However, despite beating a man rarely budged inside the Octagon, Pearson was left wanting more that night in March.

“Hats off to Dennis Siver,� recalls Pearson. “He was a tricky and skillful opponent and was a world champion kickboxer. He knew what he was doing in there and he gave me a decent test over three rounds. He had been in there with some good guys before. I just think I was able to make Siver work at a range he didn't like to work at, and it paid off. That meant I was catching him when he didn't expect me to, and I was taking him out of his own range and game plan.

“I was happy with the way I executed the game plan, and pleased I got the win, but I was also disappointed I wasn't able to finish the fight. You always look to finish fights in the UFC, and it was a shame I couldn't have put the cherry on the cake.�

Currently 13-3 in his flourishing mixed martial arts career, Pearson counts the victory over Siver as his best result to date, yet believes he performed to his best last November against Riley. Mixing up kicks and punches with vicious knees in the clinch, Pearson unleashed his full repertoire on Riley last year, endearing him to both the fans in attendance and those watching at home. Pearson was relentless and enthralling from the get-go and Riley, a durable trier capable of extending and beating prospects, simply had no answer.

“I think the Siver win was the best of my career so far, in terms of the reputation of the opponent and the risk factor, but, as far as performances go, I don't feel it was my best performance,� admits Pearson. “I comfortably beat Siver, but I didn't feel like I fully dominated him how I wanted to. I think I performed better against Aaron Riley (in my UFC debut), to be honest, as I dominated him from start to finish and forced the end of the fight. That was me at my best – but there's still plenty more to come.

“Dana White always says that when a fighter feels like the Octagon is his home, it makes him a dangerous man. Well, I'm starting to feel like the Octagon is my home right now and I'm feeling more and more confident with each and every fight.  

While Pearson can argue the merits of his opening two Octagon victories, he can take pride in boasting an unblemished UFC slate and a reputation as one of England's most promising mixed martial artists. Such was the ease at which he cut through Riley and Siver, Pearson has now been handed a substantial step up in class for UFC bout number three. Scheduled to appear at UFC Fight Night on September 15, Pearson lines up against Cole Miller, an angular and talented submission artist possessing long enough limbs to trouble Ross in all areas of the fight.

“When I first heard about Cole as an opponent, I was just excited and eager to get the training camp started, but then when we got the video tapes of Cole's fights, I realized just what an awkward and tricky opponent he is,� reveals Pearson. “A lot of hard work has gone into this fight, basically to keep the fight where I want the fight. If I can keep this fight where I want it to take place, then Cole is going to be in whole lot of trouble.

“I don't think he's fought anybody as technical or seasoned in the stand-up as me. I don't think he will have seen the kind of punches and kicks I'll be throwing his way before. The pressure, the explosiveness and the power that I'm bringing is going to be too much for him on the night. �

So where should Pearson choose to take the fight? Armed with tight, accurate and powerful boxing skills, Pearson is ferocious at close range and in clinches, and possesses the kind of takedown defense that other British fighters have struggled to locate at times of need. Miller, on the other hand, has been stopped by punchers in previous defeats, yet remains incredibly dangerous in any impending ground battle.

“The type of strikers that have beaten Cole previously aren't really the type of strikers I am,� warns Ross. “I feel I'm a level above those guys and am more comfortable with my boxing than they are. If I can keep the fight where I want it, and keep it all in my range, then I really don't see Cole causing me too much of a problem. I'm not underestimating or bad mouthing him in any way, as I truly respect his skills, but I'm very confident of getting this win. I know fully well that Cole is very dangerous in the positions he wants to be in and, if I mess up at any stage, he is more than good enough to capitalize on my errors.�

Wins over Riley and Siver have jump started the Pearson hype train, and yet the fighter himself admits he's still to be tested in any ground confrontation. So far able to retain a standing stance and strike – with both Riley and Siver willing partners – the Sunderland native relishes the idea of testing a new dimension of his game against floor specialist Miller.

“He's definitely one of the best grapplers I've fought, but I also train with some amazing grapplers,� says Pearson. “I'm not saying they are as good as Cole, but they are really high-level grapplers and know what they're doing. Fighting and training are two very different things, of course, but we're working together on a daily basis and I'm now becoming familiar with certain positions and situations on the ground. It's all feeling very natural right now. My ground game is getting better all the time.

“Cole will test me as a mixed martial artist and will act as a good gauge of where I'm at right now in the sport. I'm not just going in there with another guy that wants to stand and bang. I'm facing a guy who wants to do the complete opposite to what I do, and that's both challenging and exciting. Cole is able to stand and punch, take you down, jump clinch, jump guard and lock in submissions. He's a very versatile fighter, and I'm going to have to be on my toes at all times. This fight is going to make me step up to that next level and show people just how good my MMA skills are. This will bring out the very best in me.�

Here's where Edgar enters the scene. Having watched New Jersey's finest rise to the precipice of the lightweight division through a combination of hard graft and top wrestling, Pearson has learned to relax and perfect the aspects of the game that come naturally to him.

“Believe it or not, I'm not too fussed about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, simply because I'm not a BJJ type of fighter,� explains Pearson. “If I can control a guy and defend submissions, then I'll eventually get the fight where I want it to go. I'm happier doing that than trying to force something that just doesn't come naturally to me.

“It's not as if I'm not training any jiu-jitsu, but I'm focusing more on my wrestling and my ability to control Cole and get the fight into my territory. Why should I try and beat Cole at jiu-jitsu, when that's his best asset? Cole has been training jiu-jitsu for years and it would be foolish to even try and compete at his own game. It would be silly of me to put myself in that situation. I'm doing everything I can to improve my jiu-jitsu, but it's never going to match up to the level that Cole is at right now. I'll probably never be as good as Cole Miller at jiu-jitsu in ten years. In a pure jiu-jitsu battle, he'd beat me hands down. That's just something you have to deal with and work around, and that's what I've done.�

Refreshingly honest and grounded in his approach, Pearson speaks and thinks like a fan. After all, that's precisely what he once was, years before the dream of winning The Ultimate Fighter came to fruition.

“I'm a massive fan of the sport, as well as a fighter, and I'm keen to see how my skills will match up against someone like Cole Miller,� beams Pearson. “If I wasn't fighting, I'd be at home watching, as intrigued as everyone else to see who comes out on top. This is a great match-up and a great blend of styles, and I'm excited by the challenge ahead.

“Cole has been in there against some good guys and has never been blown away of disgraced. He might not win every fight, but Cole is always in there fighting and looking to win. He never goes in there just to survive or get out as quickly as he can. I know I'm in for a war with him. These are the kind of guys that I want to fight. I want to fight guys that come at me and challenge me. Even though Cole wants the fight in his area, I've got no doubt he'll be looking to make a fight of it. I can see this fight being very fast-paced and exciting for as long as it lasts.�


 

W2 Shonie Carter – September 24, 2000 – Pancrase 2000 Anniversary Show
Marquardt turned pro in April of 1999, three days before his 20th birthday, and by the end of that year, he was 6-1 and fighting in Japan. It was a whirlwind ride for the youngster, who made an international statement on September 24, 2000 by defeating Kiuma Kunioku and Shonie Carter on the same night to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. As Marquardt told me back before his 2001 bout against Gil Castillo, “It was pretty unbelievable.  Actually it was kind of shocking because it was something that I had only dreamed about when I was younger, watching older fighters like Funaki and Shamrock.  It was pretty unbelievable, and it took a few months for it to actually set in that I had won such a big title.â€�

L5 Gil Castillo – July 18, 2001 – IFC Warriors Challenge 14
Following his win over Carter for the King of Pancrase title, Marquardt fought three more times in Japan before what he hoped to be a triumphant homecoming against unbeaten grappling ace Gil Castillo. It wasn’t meant to be, as Castillo earned a five round split decision win, but it was a memorable battle between two of the best in the world at the time, and reminded US fans that Marquardt was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. As for Castillo, the win propelled him into the UFC, where he fought for the middleweight (against Dave Menne) and welterweight (against Matt Hughes) titles. As for Marquardt, it was back to Japan.

W3 Dean Lister – January 25, 2007 – Ultimate Fight Night 8
After the loss to Castillo, Marquardt continued to ply his trade in the Land of the Rising Sun, returning to fight in the States only once over the next four years, a first round win over Steve Gomm in a 2003 IFC match. In Pancrase, he certified himself as a star, with wins over the likes of future PRIDE standout Kazuo Misaki (twice). But following his May 2005 victory over Izuru Takeuchi, Marquardt vacated the King of Pancrase crown and made his long-awaited signing with the UFC. He won his first three Octagon bouts over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, and Crafton Wallace, but didn’t really set the world on fire. His win over Dean Lister did the trick though, as he scored a lopsided victory over the jiu-jitsu wizard that saw him hurt and drop his opponent numerous times throughout the three round scrap. And now with a perfect 4-0 Octagon record, his next fight would be for the title.

TKO by 1 Anderson Silva – July 7, 2007 – UFC 73
By the time Marquardt stepped into the Octagon to face Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title, “The Spider� had wrecked Chris Leben in 49 seconds, did a similar smash-up job on Rich Franklin, and submitted a Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Travis Lutter. Marquardt, who had been around the MMA block more than once, bought into what everyone was saying about the champion, and ten seconds before the end of the first round, he was stopped and sent back to the drawing board. “I started to believe what everyone was saying about how dangerous he was and what a good standup fighter he was,� he told me after the fight. “Looking back, I let everyone’s perception of the fight kinda change my view of the fight as well. I should have just gone out there and fought my fight. I started out that way, and through the fight it kinda changed. To be honest, I believe I’m a better standup fighter than he is and I believe I’m more dangerous than him, and I should have kept that frame of mind the whole fight. And all of a sudden he caught me with a shot right at the end of the round, and instead of attacking I went into defending mode.�

TKO3 Wilson Gouveia – February 21, 2009 – UFC 95
Slowly, but surely, Marquardt fought his way back into the middleweight title picture, submitting Jeremy Horn and stopping Martin Kampmann, with only a controversial decision loss to Thales Leites marring his run. But it was in his third round stoppage of Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95 that the MMA world started to think, ‘hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing Silva-Marquardt II.� And the reason for those sentiments came primarily from Marquardt’s finish of Gouveia, which encompassed a dizzying array of striking techniques that looked like they came straight out of a video game. It was a “new� Nate Marquardt, but as he explained, his in the Octagon mean streak was always there, it just needed a little prodding to make itself seen again. “I think I’ve always had that mean streak in me, and I kinda lost it there for a little while just because certain things changed in the way I was fighting,� he said. “Then the loss to Anderson (Silva) gave me it back.�

KO1 Demian Maia – August 29, 2009 – UFC 102
If the stoppages of Kampmann and Gouveia made people sit up and take notice when it came to Marquardt’s worthiness for a return bout with Anderson Silva, his 21 second blitz of Demian Maia got people stomping their feet for “Nate the Great� to get a rematch. And again, it wasn’t just Marquardt’s physical gifts earning him spectacular victories, it was his renewed mental approach to the game. “It is a sport, but it’s also a fight,� he said. “It’s not a game. You’re out there and you can really get hurt. You could be winning the fight, but at any moment, if you make the wrong move, you can get knocked out or choked out, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how you’re doing, you’re in there to fight and to finish the guy. For a while, I was looking at it as more of a sport.�

Not anymore though. And even with his subsequent decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, his punishing performance and near-finish of Sonnen late made it clear that he is still one of the top middleweights on the planet. All he needs now is a win over Palhares this month, and he’ll be knocking on that door for a title shot once again.