Jonathan Pearce was pumped when he got the call to fight Darren Elkins at UFC Orlando.

After Pearce beat Makwan Amirkhani at UFC London in July he wasn’t sure what was going to be next for him. He thought he could’ve gotten a ranked opponent. But, is excited to face Elkins who is someone he grew up watching.

“I was pretty excited, I think it’s just the next step for me and a long time coming,” Pearce said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I’m pretty excited… I’m just going to do the slow climb. No need to rush it. Just get another win and another pay cheque.”

Against Elkins, Pearce is well-aware that ‘The Damage’ is known for being a tough out and can pull off crazy comebacks. With that, ‘JSP’ believes he has to fight perfectly for the entire time if he is going to get his hand raised at UFC Orlando.

“I think he is a slow starter and has made his money by submitting people,” Pearce said. “Just going to be on the lookout for that. See if we can not let it go 15 minutes, that is my goal. I have to fight smart and fight perfectly for 15 minutes, and hopefully, if I do it right, it will be shorter than that.”

Although Jonathan Pearce believes he has to be perfect against Darren Elkins, he still is confident he can get a stoppage win. He believes his striking has gotten a lot better. While on the ground, he believes he can submit or ground and pound TKO anybody.

“It could go the distance, but I could catch him with something good. My goal is to go in there and finish this fight,” Pearce explained.

If Pearce does finish Elkins at UFC Orlando, he is confident that sets him up for the biggest 2023. He also believes he deserves a top-10 or at least top-15 opponent next time out.

“I think I deserve whatever I ask for. Maybe not top-five, but top-10, top-15. We will see. I will give them some names and we will see what they come back with,” Pearce concluded.

Do you think Jonathan Pearce will beat Darren Elkins at UFC Orlando?