Melvin Guillard vs. Ross Pearson Slated as UFC Manchester Co-Main Event
The UFC’s next foray into Manchester, England, has acquired a heavy-hitting co-main event between two talented strikers, as Melvin Guillard and Ross Pearson will square off at the October 26th event. The announcement follows news that Michael Bisping will face off with Mark Munoz in the main event of the UFC Fight Night.
Both Guillard and Person will come into the fall tilt with momentum on their side, but they’ll need a win to maintain any sense of that. Guillard was last seen knocking Mac Danzig out at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27th, while Pearson has handily defeated George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture in his last two.
Pearson may be fighting for a true rise up in the rankings, as he’s looked spectacular in his return to lightweight. The English striker will have a huge spotlight in his homeland, and seeks to make a definitive mark by winning three bouts in a row. A win over Guillard will likely garner him a top-flight opponent in his next bout.
Guillard will need to string together several top-quality wins in arrow to re-prove his relevance, as his recent skid absolutely decimated the huge hype train he had rolling in the fall of 2011. A rapid succession of losses in 4 out of 5 bouts to Joe Lauzon, Jim Miller, Donald Cerrone, and Jamie Varner left Guillard with a lot to prove. A win over Pearson will get him back on track, but he’ll still have a high peak to climb.
UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Munoz will air on Fox Sports 2, which was formally Fuel TV. Lowkick will have more on the developing card from England as it develops.