Ryan Couture Steps Out of His Father’s Shadow and Into UFC on Fuel TV 9 Against Ross Pearson

Ryan Couture finally pulls the spotlight away from his UFC Hall of Fame father, as UFC U.K. officials on Saturday announced his Octagon debut.

Couture will make his first UFC appearance against TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fuel TV 9 on April 6 in Sweden.

The younger Couture has mostly stayed out of the fray between his father, Randy, and UFC president Dana White. The two MMA icons recently had a blow-up over Couture signing with Spike TV for various opportunities, one of which includes being one of the coaches – alongside Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson, and Joe Warren – on Fight Master: Bellator MMA, Bellator’s new reality series.

As his father has stated, however, Ryan is his own man, developing his own fighting style that has carried him to a 6-1 overall professional record, all of which took place under the Strikeforce banner.

Currently on a four-fight winning streak, Ryan Couture makes the move along with most of the other Strikeforce roster into the Octagon.

His welcoming committee begins and ends with Ross Pearson (14-6).

Although Pearson won TUF 9, he’s been on a roller coaster ride over the past couple of years, going 3-3 in his last six fights, alternating between wins and losses. He’s coming off of a victory over fellow TUF The Smashes coach George Sotiropoulus and will be looking to Couture to finally build some momentum.

Swede Alexander Gustafsson headlines on his home turf for the second straight year. He’ll face another Strikeforce import, former light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi in the UFC on Fuel TV 9 main event.

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