Jonathan Pearce Believes He Needs a Ranked Opponent after UFC on ESPN 42

Jonathan Pearce is not overlooking his upcoming opponent, but he is confident he is already up for bigger challenges.

Pearce (13-4, 4-1 UFC) is set to face mixed martial arts veteran Darren Elkins in a 145-pound affair on the UFC on ESPN 42 preliminary card. “JSP” is enjoying a four-bout winning streak, including three finishes inside the distance. In his latest Octagon appearance, the Fight Ready representative stopped Makwan Amirkhani with punches in the second frame of their UFC Fight Night 208 clash, earning a well-deserved ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. Pearce knows he has a tough opponent in front of him, but he is looking to climb the rankings as soon as possible. In case of victory, he hopes to get a ranked opponent soon.

“I think after this one we definitely need a ranked opponent. I don't think I stand anywhere in title contention or anything like that, but I will speak up and say this. [Conor McGregor] did it in six, so this is gonna be five straight for me. We'll just see what happens. I'm not in no rush to get to the top. I think you gotta be smart about your climb because like say you're going for the title and you lose, what type of mindset are you gonna have after that? Can you handle that? I'm just taking it one step at a time. Gotta get through [Elkins] first and then I definitely have a name, maybe top 10, top 15. I don't think I would get any better than that. I don't think I would get a top five, I don't think I would get nothing better. We'll see what we can get, you know, we'll go fishing."

(00:00) Intro
(00:37) His passion for Bruce Lee
(01:29) His Thanksgiving
(01:58) Fighting outside the U.S. for the first time
(03:11) Getting assaulted in 2019
(05:29) Preparing for Elkins
(06:29) Winning the ‘Performance of the Night’ honors
(07:04) Hoping for a ranked opponent
(08:26) Picking Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland
(08:53) Aiming for a finish
(09:41) Commenting on Alex Volkanovski fighting for the 155-pound title
(10:47) His future in the featherweight division
(11:28) Outro