Pierson Knows He Can’t Let Kim Overpower Him

The Canadian will take on Dong Hyun Kim in a welterweight preliminary bout.

“I think it’s a great fight,” Pierson told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “Everybody’s like, ‘Why do they keep feeding you all these killers?’ I’m like, ‘Well, the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter. You’ve got to win.’ If you want to stay in the UFC and you want to get to where you want to go, which is the top, you’ve got to beat tough guys. So they either expect a lot of me or they don’t like me too much. Either way I’m going to go in there and prove myself. A big win here puts me back in the mix with everybody.”

Kim is also trying to get back in the mix. He had gone undefeated in his first six UFC fights before Carlos Condit stopped him in July.

“Where he’s really dominant is the top game,” Pierson said. “He gets on top of guys and he sort of just wears you out. He doesn’t put himself in too much risk, but he wears you out on top. He did it to Nate Diaz. He did it to T.J. Grant. Pretty much everybody.”

Pierson’s wrestling ability could be key in the fight. If he gets taken down and stuck underneath Kim, he’ll be in trouble. However, he’s confident that his grappling will be on the same level as the judo black belt’s.

“I think my wrestling game’s a little underrated in the UFC right now,” Pierson said. “Again, it’s no one’s fault but my own. I haven’t really showed too much, but I’m fairly confident it’s going to be a tactical battle between the two of us. We’re both takedown-type guys, although I haven’t been. I think really what the big thing is going to be here is the reach of Dong Hyun Kim -- he seems like he’s a real big welterweight -- and just the ability of me to handle that. If he’s able to outpower me and keep my back on the cage, it’s something I’m going to have to deal with.”

Pierson will also try to put Kim against the cage, though, and on the mat. He plans to strike with Kim as well.

“I want to keep it a little bit standing, bang a little bit, every once in a while drop him on his back, a little ground-and-pound,” Pierson said. “I’d like a higher-paced fight. I think he’d like a slightly slower-paced fight. If I’m able to dictate pace in this fight, I see good things happening.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 37:45).