Preview: UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims

Featherweights

Ricardo Ramos (16-5, 7-4 UFC) vs. Julian Erosa (28-11, 6-7 UFC)

ODDS: Ramos (-160), Erosa (+130)

Two veteran featherweights could each use a win here in what should be an engaging matchup. Ramos was near the top of most prospect lists when the UFC picked him up late in 2016. He already had a solid record despite being just 21 years old and showed the flashes of dynamism to suggest he could develop into something truly special. However, seven years and change later, Ramos is mostly the same fighter, capable of big moments but possessing a frustrating level of inconsistency. When things click for “Carcacinha,” there is an impressive combination of creativity and effectiveness—he has managed to finish multiple fights in the UFC via spinning elbow—but he can get taken out of his fights all too easily against an opponent willing to press his own offense. It was quite frustrating when Charles Jourdain managed to beat Ramos by repeatedly attempting guillotine chokes until one managed to work. Ramos is still just 28 years old, so things might click at some point, but for now, he looks to get back in the win column against Erosa, who himself is looking to turn around a surprising two-fight skid. A three-time UFC signee, Erosa looked like he would be stuck bouncing between the regional scene and the UFC for the entirety of his career. His aggressive style could overwhelm most regional opposition but tended to walk him right into knockouts against more potent competition. That still happened from time to time during this third UFC run, but Erosa’s game was as effective as ever during a three-fight run that saw him beat Jourdain, Steven Peterson and Hakeem Dawodu, the last of which figured to set him up for a late-career renaissance. However, Erosa quickly got knocked out by Alex Caceres, then turned around and suffered the same fate against then-UFC newcomer Fernando Padilla. Now, “Juicy J” finds himself with surprisingly little momentum. Erosa has the type of approach that can break Ramos if given the chance. With that said, it is just as likely that Ramos is another opponent with the firepower to catch Erosa cold and make that point moot. It is a coinflip on paper that should be one-sided in practice. The pick is Ramos via first-round knockout.

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