Edson Barboza Jr. vs. Ross Pearson Added to UFC Rio Card in Brazil

Ross Pearson will step into the lion’s den for his next fight as he will face rising star Edson Barboza Jr. at UFC Rio in Brazil this August.

The UFC announced the new match-up on Tuesday.

Edson Barboza Jr. (8-0) will fight in his home country of Brazil in August coming off of back-to-back wins since his Octagon debut. A diverse striker with some of the nastiest stand-up in the division, Barboza will try to keep his record perfect when he faces the former “Ultimate Fighter” winner.

Ross Pearson (12-4) comes back at UFC Rio after a strong performance in his last fight against Spencer Fisher in February. Since winning the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Pearson has gone 3-1 in the Octagon with victories over Aaron Riley and Dennis Siver as well.

The bout between Barboza and Pearson promises fireworks for the UFC’s first card in Brazil since 1998.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva attempts to defend his title against Yushin Okami in the main event.