• UFC 141

Pearson reveals uninspiring Christmas dinner

ESPN staff
December 24, 2011
Ross Pearson is set for his featherweight debut © Getty Images
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Ross Pearson has summed up the sacrifices he and other fighters will be making for UFC 141, admitting his Christmas dinner will consist of plain chicken and spinach.

Pearson is preparing for his featherweight debut against Junior Assuncao in Las Vegas, which takes place on a card headlined by Brock Lesnar's heavyweight showdown with Alistair Overeem.

British 145-pounder Pearson is determined to prove to the UFC he is title material, and so he is blocking Christmas out of his mind in order to tear apart Assuncao. He insists the initial agony of missing out on Christmas dinner will make things taste all the sweeter when he beats his Brazilian opponent on December 30.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my girlfriend and some of her family out here, but obviously I won't be having Christmas dinner because I'll be cutting weight," Pearson told ESPN. "I've blocked out Christmas to be honest with you.

"On Christmas day I'll be eating 300 ounces of chicken breast and spinach. No seasoning, no nothing. That's it. My Christmas dinner will come after I win this fight - it'll taste just as nice.

"I knew I'd miss Christmas, I wanted this opportunity to fight in Vegas on New Year's Eve. I couldn't resist fighting on this card. I'd wanted to fight on it all year."

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