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Pearson set to train with Lesnar's coach Paulson

Ross Pearson is targeting a run at the UFC lightweight title © Getty Images

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Ross Pearson is set to work with world level MMA coach Erik Paulson in an attempt to raise his wrestling to championship-winning standard.

Pearson has had enough of being a number in the UFC lightweight division, and he has called on matchmaker Joe Silva to give him a new opponent as soon as possible.

The British lightweight, who trains with Dan Hardy's Rough House team, is desperate to become a multi-faceted fighter in the mould of Frankie Edgar, and he is prepared to leave the country in order to improve. Paulson was an exceptional mixed martial artist in his day, and now he is credited for aiding the significant improvement in Brock Lesnar, not to mention his work with a string of other fighters including Josh Barnett, Renato Sobral and Sean Sherk.

"I'm looking to set up a little training camp to go and train with Erik Paulson," Pearson revealed to ESPN. "I want a few weeks out there to train with the catch wrestling team. I've trained with Erik in the past and he's an unbelievable trainer.

"He's the guy who can take my career to the next level.

"He was a well-rounded MMA fighter, he's got good striking, jiu-jitsu, his catch wrestling is phenomenal and I'll be looking to take something from that."

Pearson has primarily been a striker during his MMA career, but against Spencer Fisher in his last outing he began to display a willingness to mix things up. With Paulson's help, the Brit believes he can make his gameplan increasingly unpredictable for future rivals.

"I think I got three takedowns in the fight against Spencer Fisher, I wanted more, but Spencer came in great shape for that fight, his movement was really well timed," Pearson said. "Usually my footwork puts me in good positions, but he studied that and it took me a long time to get settled.

"The first round was tricky, I was worried about my knee and couldn't settle. He caught me with a shot that was enough to make me think 'that hurt', so I was unsettled. But I then got my rhythm and it was a big win for me in my career, getting rid of the demons in my head about the Cole Miller loss and the knee operation."

Pearson is eyeing Donald Cerrone, Mark Bocek or Takanori Gomi as his next opponent.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.