Pearson wins Smashes finale
Ross Pearson made a triumphant return to lightweight as he defeated George Sotiropoulos by TKO at UFC on FX 6.
By Jack Woodfield - Twitter: @JWoodfield365
Last Updated: 16/12/12 11:32am
Ross Pearson made a triumphant return to lightweight as he defeated George Sotiropoulos by TKO at UFC on FX 6 in Queensland, Australia.
The two TUF: Smashes coaches finally squared off at the Gold Coast Convention Centre to determine whether Team UK or Team Australia would reign supreme in the series finale matchups.
Pearson put on a dominant performance in Sotiropoulos' home country, "The Real Deal" ending the fight in round three after knocking his opponent down twice in the first two rounds.
Pearson started in a calculated fashion, catching his foe with a left in the first that saw Sotiropoulos in survival mode after dropping to the floor.
Sotiropoulos attempted a rear-naked choke as the round drew to a close, but Pearson landed a hard left hook in the second that dropped the Australian once more.
Early in the third, Pearson put together a sublime combination of an uppercut and a hard left hook to floor Sotiropoulous again, with referee Mark Goddard stopping the fight just 41 seconds into the round.
Elsewhere on the card, Aussie welterweight Robert Whittaker overcame England's Brad Scott to claim a UFC contract, while the lightweight final was won by Northern Ireland's Norman Parke, who beat his Team UK team-mate Colin Fletcher by unanimous decision.
Hector Lombard ended his search for a first UFC victory with a first-round stoppage over Brazilian Rousimar Palhares, before calling out English middleweight Michael Bisping in his post-match interview.
After stopping Palhares in the first round, the former Bellator middleweight made no secret as to who he wants as his next opponent inside the Octagon.
"Bisping, please," Lombard said. "I want a piece of him. I don't want to talk, let's fight in the cage.
"If I can't fight Bisping, Mark Munoz, you're next in line. I hope the UFC gives me the opportunity."
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