Lightweights
Joaquim Silva (11-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. Jesse Ronson (21-11, 0-4 UFC)Two lightweights look to rebound from disappointing losses in this well-matched scrap. Ronson’s first UFC stint from 2013 to 2014 was wholly unsuccessful, even if “The Body Snatcher” mostly ran into some bad luck. None were highly regarded at the time, but losses to Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinaldo and Kevin Lee all aged well in the ensuing years. From there, Ronson continued on as a solid regional veteran in his native Canada until 2020, when he seemingly cashed in on a short-notice UFC return in impressive fashion, quickly finishing the historically durable Nicolas Dalby up a weight class at welterweight. However, the result was overturned after Ronson failed his post-fight drug test, and his return in April was a bit flat. Ronson’s scrappy style figured to be well-suited to a win over Rafa Garcia, but the former Combate Global champion hung tough, proved to be the better wrestler and eventually found a second-round submission. Still in search of his first UFC win, Ronson takes on a perennially frustrating prospect in Silva. “Netto BJJ” follows in the footsteps of Vitor Belfort and some of his other Brazilian countrymen, extolling the virtues of Brazilian jiu-jitsu while mostly just looking to knock out his opponents. While Silva sometimes connects for some impressively brutal knockouts, his blitzing approach leads to a ton of inconsistency and lackluster stretches—and that was even before his last fight, a June 2021 loss that saw Ricky Glenn immediately time one of his salvos and score a knockout. That could easily happen again, as Ronson is more than willing to throw when his opponent enters his range, but Silva should hit the harder shots as long as he survives and does occasionally pivot to a wrestling game that could pay dividends. Neither man is particularly trustworthy when it comes to getting a win, but the pick is Silva via decision.
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