When Ross Pearson announced his retirement last month, he didn’t mean that he was completely done with combat sports.
In April, Pearson walked away from mixed martial arts with a record of 20-16, 1 No Contest, with 12 of those wins coming in the UFC but it didn’t take long for the popular Brit to announce his next fight.
‘The Real Deal’ revealed that he would be switching to professional boxing and made his debut on Wednesday in Australia, where he claimed a second-round TKO victory over Salar King.
Pearson, who is competing in boxing’s middleweight division, looked incredible prior to the stoppage which came when a relentless onslaught forced King to his knees and he was unable to continue.
Former UFC star @RossTheRealDeal scores a 2nd round KO over Salar King in his boxing debut #TszyuCamilleri pic.twitter.com/XjYfNGzQFl
— Jamie Pandaram (@JamiePandaram) May 15, 2019
While age is not exactly on his side if he is to make a legitimate challenge for world glory at 160lbs, Pearson is confident that at 34 years of age, he will be able to make waves at the elite level.
“World level,” Pearson told Sporting News when asked about his goals in his new sport prior to his debut. “I’m serious. World level.
“I can fight anyone. I’ve got all the punches and durability, and now it’s about learning the sport – the combinations, patterns and timing of the fight.”
