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For more than eight years, Ross Pearson has idolised Randy Couture.

He's had a poster of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer hanging on the wall in his bedroom for six of them.

And sometime next month, Pearson will peel that poster, printed to promote Couture's 2003 fight with Tito Ortiz at UFC 44, off of his wall and take it to the Manchester Evening News Arena in hopes of having it signed by him.

It might be the first time that Couture, who fights Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC 105 on November 14, has signed an item for a fighter with whom he is sharing a card.

Pearson is fighting Aaron Riley in the first bout.

"I was nearly as excited as I was when I found out who I was fighting," said Pearson, the lightweight winner from season nine of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.

"I was a little shocked, to be honest with you. It took a while to sink in that I am actually going to share a card with Randy Couture.

"This is a massive opportunity for me and my career to be on the same card as him. It's just unbelievable."

He first saw Couture in 2001 when Couture defeated Pedro Rizzo at UFC 31 in one of the greatest fights in UFC history. He said he's been inspired by Couture ever since.

"He's a hero of mine, no question about it," said Pearson, who caught the H1N1 virus in the summer and lost several pounds.

"Growing up watching Randy and watching his fights, I used to love how everyone would write him off because he was older than the other competitors.

"His personality and his charisma just comes across as him being a real genuinely nice guy. I've never met the bloke, but he comes across as an honest guy who loves fighting. That's pretty much what I am."

Pearson said his favourite Couture fights are his first with Chuck Liddell, the Ortiz bout and the first with Vitor Belfort.

He's amazed by the way Couture is able to game plan and said he's tried to pattern himself after Couture in the way.

"I've got Randy's books and DVDs and I've tried to learn as much about what he does as I possibly can," Pearson said.

"I love how he game plans fights. He trains very specifically for each opponent and he's a really clever bloke with how he fights.

"He's very strategic in the way he fights and trains. It's a massive, massive part of the fight game to be able to do what you do in training in the fights.

"No one is better at that than Randy and I'd just love to be able to have that ability."

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports / Eurosport