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Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza

UFC 12-13-0 (1 NC) vs. 18-15-0

Tale of the tape

Green = edge on that line
12-13-0 (1 NC)
UFC record
18-15-0
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
42
AgeΔ 2 yrs
40
5'8"
HeightΔ 3"
5'11"
69"
ReachΔ 6"
75"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
90.7
Layoff (months)Δ 88.5 mo
2.2
LLWLL
Last 5 (newest first)
LLLLW

The read

Stats 25%+ off the division median
Edson Barboza carries real power — 0.62 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
Edson Barboza rarely shoots — 0.42 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.34 Lightweight norm.
Ross Pearson rarely shoots — 0.74 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.34 Lightweight norm.

Level of competition

Full-career record by tier of opposition

Ross Pearson

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 1213
Tier 3 — regional circuit 84

Tier-weighted record quality: 0.53 · 12 tier-1/2 wins · 12 finish wins over 38 documented bouts

In the UFC: 6-9 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.7 wins over .500

Edson Barboza

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 1814
Tier 3 — regional circuit 60

Tier-weighted record quality: 1.06 · 18 tier-1/2 wins · 15 finish wins over 38 documented bouts

In the UFC: 13-13 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +3.2 wins over .500

Striking

Career totals · norms = own-division medians

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

11143.68/min · norm 3.44
Sig. strikes landed
16164.15/min · norm 3.44
12384.09/min · norm 3.38
Sig. strikes absorbed lower is better
18554.76/min · norm 3.38
40.3%norm 43.65%
Striking accuracy
44.7%norm 43.65%
62.2%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
55.5%norm 56.3%
60.30/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
160.62/15 · norm 0.25

Where the fight happens (share of sig. strike attempts)

Ross Pearson

Distance 89.3% (norm 83.1%) · Clinch 8.9% (norm 7.3%) · Ground 1.8% (norm 8.0%)

Edson Barboza

Distance 94.7% (norm 83.1%) · Clinch 2.7% (norm 7.3%) · Ground 2.5% (norm 8.0%)

What they throw (share of sig. strike attempts by target)

Ross Pearson

Head 73.2% (norm 78.0%) · Body 17.5% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 9.3% (norm 8.0%)

Edson Barboza

Head 65.6% (norm 78.0%) · Body 20.4% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 14.1% (norm 8.0%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

Green ≥ division median, red below. UFCStats tracks position and target as separate splits.

Zone Pearson L/AAccLightweight med Barboza L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 915 / 2470 37.0% 38.3% 1476 / 3425 43.1% 38.3%
In the clinch 172 / 245 70.2% 67.5% 80 / 98 81.6% 67.5%
On the ground 27 / 51 52.9% 68.8% 60 / 92 65.2% 68.8%
BY TARGET
To the head 588 / 2025 29.0% 35.1% 707 / 2371 29.8% 35.1%
To the body 314 / 485 64.7% 69.1% 511 / 736 69.4% 69.1%
To the legs 212 / 256 82.8% 81.8% 398 / 508 78.3% 81.8%

Zones with fewer than 25 attempts are marked "too few to rate". Each fighter is measured against the median of leaderboard-eligible fighters in his own division (Lightweight: 204 fighters · Lightweight: 204 fighters).

What lands on them Opponents' accuracy against each man

Green ≤ division median — harder to hit than the typical man in his division.

Zone vs Pearson L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Barboza L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 977 / 2884 33.9% 38.8% 1494 / 3662 40.8% 38.8%
In the clinch 203 / 307 66.1% 68.6% 90 / 134 67.2% 68.6%
On the ground 58 / 84 69.0% 68.0% 271 / 374 72.5% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 789 / 2642 29.9% 35.2% 1343 / 3460 38.8% 35.2%
To the body 245 / 365 67.1% 68.2% 254 / 398 63.8% 68.2%
To the legs 204 / 268 76.1% 81.5% 258 / 312 82.7% 81.5%

Grappling

Takedowns, control, submissions vs. division norm
1535.7% acc · 0.74/15 · norm 1.34
Takedowns landed
1150.0% acc · 0.42/15 · norm 1.34
6475.3% def · norm 63.7%
Takedowns stopped
7673.1% def · norm 63.7%
21:047.0% of cage time · norm 18.95%
Control time
24:396.3% of cage time · norm 18.95%
43:042:08 per 15 · norm 2:50
Time under control lower is better
67:122:35 per 15 · norm 2:50
00.00/15 · norm 0.48
Submission attempts
20.08/15 · norm 0.48

Bars compare the two men's rates (per-minute / per-15 figures), not raw totals — Barboza has more cage time on record.