The third was another extremely close round, with a lot of people believing that Pearson had edged out the decision. But not the judges. One had it 29-28 Pearson, but the other two had it 29-28 Barboza and he took home the W. The bout was the third fight on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC 134 broadcast.
What was the high spot of this fight?
There were a lot of solid shots, but Barboza dropping Pearson early in the second was likely the best one. He throw a bunch of super-fast spinning back kicks that were pretty impressive as well.
Where do these guys go from here?
Despite the win, Barboza looked a lot more human in this fight than he had in his prior two UFC bouts. A stiff test like this is probably exactly what he needed to progress, but it's tough to see exactly where he goes from here. A win over a TUF winner is great for the resume, but the division is extremely deep. A fight with Dennis Siver sounds like surefire excitement, but Barboza might not be ready for that yet. Matt Wiman would be a good test of his overall game.
Pearson showed a lot in this fight, but the loss will definitely slow his ascent in the division. A bout with Charles Oliveira would be an excellent test for both fighters.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. It won Fight of the Night for a reason, and everyone likes 15 minutes of standnbang every so often. Check it out.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/7/2350504/mma/fight-card/74507/ufc-133-evans-vs-ortiz
More BE coverage of UFC 134 in the full entry.
Shogun Rua Proves He Can Still Be a Champion - Fraser Coffeen
The Biggest Winners and Losers on the Night - Matthew Roth
Anderson Silva Unmatched at Middleweight, Options Slim - Leland Roling
FightMetric Recap for Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson - Mike Fagan
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's Greatest Hits - Brent Brookhouse
Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami Fight Video Highlights - ESPN
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub Fight Video Highlights - ESPN
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - UFC 134
Anderson Silva Wins Over Rio with Stoppage of Yushin Okami - Matthew Roth
Anderson Silva's Brilliance and Other Post-Hangover Thoughts - Brent Brookhouse
Mauricio Rua Stops Forrest Griffin in Two Minutes - Matthew Roth
Edson Barboza Wins a Split Decision over Ross Pearson - Matthew Roth
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira With a Stunning Knockout of Brendan Schaub - Matthew Roth
UFC 134 Post-Fight Press Conference Updates - Tim Burke
Stanislav Nedkov Silences Brazilian Crowd with Knockout of Luis Cane - Matthew Roth
Thiago Tavares Ground and Pounds Spencer Fisher to a Second Round Stoppage - Matthew Roth
Rousimar Palhares Wins a Decision in a Strange But Great Fight With Dan Miller - Tim Burke
Paulo Thiago Takes a Dominant Decision Victory Over David Mitchell - Tim Burke
Raphael Assuncao Outworks Johnny Eduardo to Decision - Matthew Roth
Erick Silva Puts Luis Ramos to Sleep with a Massive Right - Matthew Roth
Yuri Alcantara Grapples Felipe Arantes to a Decision - Matthew Roth
Yves Jabouin Works Ian Loveland to a Split Decision - Matthew Roth