Jonathan Pearce expects to ‘maul’ opponents now that he’s at 145, not interested in rebooking Sean Woodson fight
Jonathan Pearce pulled off a big betting upset at UFC Vegas 15 as he dominated Kai Kamaka III en route to a TKO win.
Pearce was dropping down to featherweight after a disappointing UFC debut where he lost by TKO to Joe Lauzon. Entering this fight, “JSP” says he had no pressure on him as everyone was already counting him out.
“I feel like I am the pressure. I go out there and do my thing. If anybody had the pressure it was him. He filled the spot and was the one to win and he was such a big favorite and supposed to run right through me,” Pearce said to MyMMANews. “Everyone was picking this guy and I felt like Lauzon. Everyone writing me off, and he thought I didn’t belong and was an easy fight.”
In the fight, Pearce used his wrestling and vicious ground and pound to really dominate the fight. For JSP, he expects to maul everyone at featherweight as he knows this is his division.
“I’m used to that and at 155, I was having these tough fights which was making me upset. I’m used to mauling people, I want to knock them out but I maul them,” he explained. “Featherweight is my division and I will make a run at it. I wanted a name for my debut but I didn’t know if I could make it in my debut on that short notice.”
Following the win, the hope for Jonathan Pearce is to return in the early parts of 2021, and doesn’t have anyone in mind. But, he has no interest in rebooking the Sean Woodson fight as he believes he is past that.
“He backed out a week beforehand, and I don’t know if he hurt himself before that but I know most people don’t go hard a week out. I was a little upset with me, but things happen,” Pearce concluded. “I do want him to have a long career so you can’t force anything. I’m past that. I wouldn’t rebook a fight again with someone who backed out against me. That is not me being upset with him that is business. I’m not training weeks’ on end for the person not to show up.”
