Fight fans may not be all that familiar with Edson Barboza heading into his clash against Ross Pearson at UFC 134 this Saturday (Aug. 27, 2011) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Expect that to change, as he'll be under the microscope in his native land on the main card of a major pay-per-view (PPV) event.
The oddsmakers think he'll handle the pressure just fine and have him pegged as a -290.
Perhaps that's because the Brazilian has been steamrolling his competition, finishing seven of his eight victims, including five inside the very first round.
He was last seen taking a unanimous decision from Anthony Njokuani in an exciting slugfest back at the UFC 128: "Shogun vs. Jones" event in March.
Pearson, for his money, will go rolling deep into enemy territory as the +245 underdog.
"The Real Deal" recently suffered his first loss inside the Octagon, a stunning submission defeat to Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 22 last September in Austin, Texas.
He rebounded by outpointing Spencer Fisher at UFC 127: "Penn vs. Fitch" back in February and has since been vocal about getting back into the 155-pound title hunt.
A convincing win over Barboza would certainly be a good start.
Edson Barboza (-290) vs. Ross Pearson (+245) at UFC 134. Who ya' got and why?
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