UFC lightweight Ross Pearson isn’t going to sugarcoat his assessment of Gray Maynard’s recent run in MMA: He sees a downhill slope.

“I’m prepared for the best Gray that’s ever been,” Pearson (15-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) told MMAjunkie Radio. “But I think where he is at his best and where I’m at at my best, I think I’m twice the fighter as what Gray has been.”

Maynard (11-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC), a two-time lightweight title challenger, won eight straight fights following his turn on “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” but he’s 1-3 in his past four outings and hasn’t competed since a TKO loss this past November to three-time opponent Nate Diaz.

Naturally, questions about Maynard’s ability to rekindle his sagging career accompany his fight with Pearson, which co-headlines Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 47 event at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. (The event’s main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 2.)

Pearson, who suffered heartbreak with a controversial split-call loss in June to Diego Sanchez, can relate to the motivation that comes from a career slide. He pushed for a quick turnaround and got Abel Trujillo, whom Maynard eventually replaced.

The British lightweight anticipates an opponent who not only is well prepared for the fight, but competes with the knowledge that he’s on the chopping block with a loss.

“His back is against the wall,” Pearson said of Maynard. “He’s coming in for a victory to establish he can still compete at the top of the division, so it’s going to be a risky opponent. A guy with his back against the wall shows true fighting spirit. I believe Gray is a fighter and he can dig deep.”

With that said, Pearson expects he’ll be the better fighter because he holds the punching power that’s historically been a weakness for Maynard. “The Bully” has been stopped by knockout in all of his recent losses.

“I just think I’m a little more on point, a little bit sharper, a little bit more accurate, and I definitely hit harder than everyone he’s been knocked out by, so it’s definitely a factor that he’s thinking about,” Pearson said. “I’ve just got to touch him, and I finish him.”

After a trip to the scorecards proved disastrous in his most recent outing, Pearson said he’ll push to end the fight before the judges can get involved.

“That’s definitely what’s put the fire in my belly to push harder for finishes,” Pearson said. “But I’m my own worst enemy. If I go out looking for finishes, they never come. I either get caught myself or something silly happens. I’ve just got to settle into the fight and let the knockouts come to me.

“I know I’ve got the ability to finish guys, so I’ve just got to fight the right fight and play it smart, and I know it will come.”

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 47, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.