Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 champion Ross Pearson will return to action against Francisco Trinaldo at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 81: "Dillashaw vs. Cruz" mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which airs live on FOX Sports 1 on Sun., Jan. 17, 2016, from inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Sun brought word of the pairing on Thursday.
Pearson (18-9, 1 NC) has been consistently inconsistent, alternating wins and losses for the past couple of years. His latest outing produced a split-decision win over Paul Felder back in September and it may be time for the "Real Deal" to put some kind of streak together.
His job may depend on it the way ZUFFA has been handing out pink slips.
Trinaldo (18-4) has been the complete opposite, racking up four straight wins after a hot-and-cold start to his Octagon career. "Massaranduba" recently torched Chad Laprise at UFC Fight Night 74 and could get into the mix with a big win over Pearson.
Predictions?
UFC Fight Night 81 will be headlined by the bantamweight championship showdown between reigning division kingpin, TJ Dillashaw, and the man who never lost the 135-pound title, Dominick Cruz. Elsewhere on the card, Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis face off for a spot in the lightweight pecking order.
See the latest and greatest UFC Fight Night 81 fight card and rumors here.