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Ross Pearson waiting by the phone... eyes Cerrone

Ross Pearson is coming off a win over Spencer Fisher © Getty Images

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English lightweight Ross Pearson admits he is desperate for the UFC to tell him who he will fight next, and he has even contemplated taking a leaf out of Chael Sonnen's book by calling out opponents.

Pearson wants to make up for lost time after he spent months recovering from knee surgery following a defeat to Cole Miller back in September. The Brit had defeated the highly-rated Dennis Siver prior to the Miller loss and he bounced back with a victory against Spencer Fisher at UFC 127, but now he wants a shot at the big time.

Pearson's professional career is into its seventh year, and he is adamant that he is ready to mix it with the top 155-pounders in the sport. With so many already booked to fight, Pearson has narrowed his own list of potential opponents to three, and he is desperate for the UFC to let him off the leash.

"I'm waiting for a phone call. I've been tweeting a lot that I'm fit and training hard. I don't know who my opponent will be, but I'm super focused and it's my time," Pearson told ESPN. "I'm sitting waiting for that phone call, every day I'm looking at that phone thinking 'Come on, ring!'

"The UFC know I'm ready, but I'm always too keen, they try to manage my career better than what I would do, I'd get in there against anyone."

Asked if that meant he would fight Brock Lesnar, Pearson replied: "I probably would do something crazy like that!"

Elaborating on the list of fighters he believes could be on the horizon, Pearson picked out the name of Donald Cerrone, the former WEC star who ended Paul Kelly's UFC career in his last outing.

"I'm just looking at who's left on the roster for me to get matched up with," Pearson explained. "There's Donald Cerrone, Mark Bocek... Takanori Gomi's out there. They're the three I'm looking at.

"Cerrone is a top guy, he put on a great performance against Paul Kelly and has had some great wars in the WEC. If that's what the UFC see fit for me to fight, let's do it - I'm ready to go. I won't back down from any opponent.

"It's my time to really push, I want the big fights, the big names, I'm training hard and I'm more focused than ever. I'm 27 this year, and I'm ready to go for it."

Asked if he ever felt like bad-mouthing somebody to speed up the match selection process, Pearson laughed: "I wish I was like Chael Sonnen or had the attitude like Dan Hardy and Paul Daley to call people out, but I just can't do it!"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.