It’s Scotland versus England as Stevie Ray steps in to face Ross Pearson at UFC Belfast

THE age-old sporting rivalry between England and Scotland will continue inside the eight walls of the UFC‘s Octagon on November 19.

That’s because Scotland’s Stevie Ray has agreed to step in and face England’s Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson at UFC Fight Night in Belfast next month.

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Stepping in: Scotland’s Stevie ‘Braveheart’ Ray[/caption]

Pearson was due to face American lightweight James Krause in the co-main event in Northern Ireland.

But Krause sustained a badly torn hamstring during training, leaving him with no option but to withdraw from the contest.

The UFC acted swiftly and drafted in Ray, who has lost just once in his last six outings.

That defeat came on enemy territory as he dropped a unanimous decision to Brazil’s Alan Patrick in Brasilia, but prior to that loss Ray had turned in impressive displays to defeat Marcin Bandel, Leonardo Mafra and Mickael Lebout in his first three UFC contests.

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Looking to make amends: Stevie Ray is looking to bounce back after his first defeat in the UFC[/caption]

Pearson, meanwhile, has been operating at a higher level, but has been in a sticky patch of form, losing three of his last four bouts.

The Sunderland man has wins over Sam Stout, Paul Felder and Chad Laprise among his last seven outings, but losses to Evan Dunham, Francisco Trinaldo, Will Brooks and Jorge Masvidal (at welterweight) have prevented him from embarking on a run of form to break him into a ranked position in the UFC’s super-competitive 155lb lightweight division.

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Looking for a win: Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson[/caption]

With both men looking to bounce back from recent losses – and the old-school England v Scotland rivalry on the back burner – the bout promises to deliver fireworks for the fans at the SSE Arena in Belfast.