More Than Meets The Eye: The Onus on Ross Pearson and James Wilks

Historically, The Ultimate Fighter has always been a tool to give any ho-hum mixed martial arts prospect the chance of a lifetime: to compete for the sport’s top fight promotion.

Winning the reality series is a feat in it’s own, but I’d say it’s even more intriguing to see where each fighter goes from there and how the UFC chooses to handle their respective “TUF” champions.

Right out of the gates, it’s become customary for each series winner to handed a bit of a layup in their first post-TUF fight. Look at the show’s two most notable alumni, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans. Griffin was dealt Bill Mahood, while Evans squared off with Sam Hoger. Combined, the two went 2-4 in the UFC.

With Diego Sanchez, there was Brian Gassaway. Likewise for Kendall Grove and Chris Price.

So imagine the intrigue for this weekend’s fight card, when TUF 9 victors Ross Pearson and James Wilks take the first step of their post-reality show careers and in doing so, are betting-line underdogs in their respective bouts.

Pearson, who opposes veteran Aaron Riley, has been appropriately billed as a “British Bulldog” of sorts, but if there’s a fighter whose scrappiness can match or even upend Pearson’s rugged fight style, it’s someone with Riley’s fierce pacing and savvy.

Wilks, who turned more than a few heads with his ease in handling DeMarques Johnson en route to capturing the TUF 9 welterweight crown, draws fellow TUF alumnus Matt Brown, whose rejuvenated striking game may not even open the door for Wilks to unleash his black belt-caliber Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Granted, this isn’t the first time both fighters have been on the down end of the bookmakers insights, as both were underdogs in their TUF finale contests as well. Nonetheless, it’s interesting matchmaking, given the post-fight ramifications of UFC 105.

A market that the UFC has done an amicable job of expanding into, the U.K. fight scene can take a sizeable hit on Saturday. While Pearson and Wilks will lay the main card’s groundwork, it’s outings containing England’s top two fighting sons that will have British eyes locked in.

In just over one year into his UFC career, Dan Hardy has the opportunity to secure a potential title fight with division kingpin Georges St. Pierre down the road, while Michael Bisping can oust one of the stalwart names at 185 pounds over the past five years in Denis Kang.

Yet, when all is said and done, would it be farfetched to suggest that Bisping and Hardy could both lose their respective bouts?

Bisping has been long entrenched as the U.K.’s MMA poster boy, while Hardy’s look and brash charisma have him on the cusp of overseas stardom as well. Losses to Kang and Swick, respectively, can bear largely negative consequences and as has become tradition, it’s always at the forefront for the UFC to sign it’s more notable English-bred names to it’s U.K. cards in an attempt to increase their exposure.

Just look at UFC 85, with Hardy co-headlining opposite Rory Markham; a fight that may be best served for the preliminary card on a U.S.-based UFC card. But the fight served it’s purpose, with Hardy scoring a major first-round knockout and sending the Brits and Hardy’s popularity into a frenzy. Two fights later, Hardy’s the UFC U.K. silver medalist and in a potential title eliminator.

It’s a role that no doubt, the UFC would hope to one day slide the likes of Pearson and Wilks into. The pair already has a leg up on the competition given their experience on “TUF” and that’s why there’s such a large onus hanging over their respective fights.

The very real possibility of Bisping and Hardy going down means Pearson and Wilks will have to set the tone not just for their fights, but for future UFC events in England.

With victories, obviously.