Will Brooks Comments on Signing With UFC & Debut Fight Against Ross Pearson

– Former Bellator Lightweight Champion and new UFC fighter Will Brooks appeared on UFC Tonight last night, here are the highlights…

Will Brooks on the first person he called when he signed with the UFC: “The first person I called was my dad. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs through our relationship and just recently reconciled. He’s supported me through my whole career and I thought it’d be nice to share it with him first.”

Brooks on how his life changed joining the UFC: “It’s a lot busier. A lot of phone calls and interviews with media. But at the end of the day, we’re still fighters and competitors. So when the lights go off and microphones get put away, I’m still in the gym training.”

Brooks on if there’s added pressure on him now that he’s in the UFC: “Not at all. I’ve always been ready for this. I’ve always wanted to get to the UFC and this is where I belong. Now I have my homecoming. I want all of it, the attention and praise, and I want to earn it.”

Brooks on if he believes he’s at the championship level: “Right now, I’m fighting a guy not in the top 10, but I had to take the opportunity. I’ve taken a few months off and I’m ready to get in there and compete. I’ve been like a caged animal. It’s going to be a short run for me. I’m going to show people what I can do and I’ll be in the title contention very soon.”

Brooks on what kind of statement he wants to make in his first UFC fight?: “I want to get a dominant win and to be a dominating fighter. In my mind, I’ve always been a champion and in other organizations I was and I’m still a champion. I compete that way as a dominating figure in and out of the cage. I’m going to walk out of there with a finish or an easily dominated decision.”

Brooks on how he’s going to fight Ross Pearson: “People know me and what I bring to the table. I get better every single fight. I get better with high level talent. Now I’m at the top of the mountain with the best of fighters, I’m putting work in and I’m going to give him a long night, show him athleticism, strength, mentally he’s never seen. I can confuse him mentally. It’s going to be a long night for Ross Pearson and an entertaining one for the fans.”

Brooks on having suicide thoughts in the past: “That was a while back in my life, but that made me who I am today. You hear stories about those things. It was a scary time for myself. I tell people who have those thoughts to hold on because other people have gone through what you’ve gone through and you should seek out those people and learn from them. I wanted to put my story out there, and someone can take from my story. If you can endure and if you’re relentless, you can accomplish anything.”