26-Bout UFC Veteran Ross Pearson Announces Retirement from MMA

Ross Pearson is retiring from mixed martial arts following a 37-bout career.

The 34-year-old Englishman announced his decision Monday via Instagram. “The Real Deal” left the door open to compete in combat sports outside the realm of MMA.

“After some long hard talks, and careful consideration with my family, friends and team,  I’ve decided it's time to retire as an MMA fighter,” Pearson wrote. “As hard as that is to say, it’s not the end of my career as a competitor. I’ve always been a fighter, and right now I am keeping my mind open as to what's next for me.

“I'd like take this time to thank everyone at the [UFC] for having me for the past 10 years [and Dana White] for seeing something in me and believing in me for all these years ago.”

Pearson exits the sport in an extended slump, as he is 1-6 in the Octagon dating back to July 2016. He last appeared at UFC on ESPN, where he suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Desmond Green on March 30.

Pearson won “The Ultimate Fighter 9” and went on to have a 26-bout tenure in the Las Vegas-based promotion. Over the course of his UFC career, Pearson posted wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Gray Maynard, Sam Stout, Dennis Siver, Ryan Couture and Aaron Riley, among others. He posted a 20-16 record with one no contest as a professional overall.

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After some long hard talks, and careful consideration with my family, friends and team,  I’ve decided it's time to retire as an MMA fighter. As hard as that is to say, it’s not the end of my career as a competitor. I’ve always been a fighter, and right now I am keeping my mind open as to what's next for me. I'd like take this time to thank everyone at the @UFC for having me for the past 10 years @danawhite for seeing something in me and believing in me for all these years ago. To my family, my teammates, and my friends, your support has been endless and I appreciate all of you - with a special shout out to all the north east training partners & coaches who where there for me in the beginning @grapplefit to @alliancemma for taking me in as part of the family, my wife @kristiejpearson for following my dream with me and all the guys at @centralcoastmma @coach_jamie_pittman_ @centralcoastbarbell And to all my fans , thanks for all the love & support ! Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson

A post shared by rosstherealdeal (@rosstherealdeal) on Apr 8, 2019 at 5:54pm PDT