Ricardo Ramos may be coming off his first UFC loss, but he still feels like he can compete with the top of the bantamweight division.
Ramos (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) who was originally scheduled to face Sergio Pettis on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 3, will instead face promotional newcomer, Journey Newson (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
Only 23, the young Brazilian prospect said he’s looking to bounce back from his loss and prove he’s among the best at 135 pounds.
“I feel at home in the UFC now, after scoring three wins, but I’m always looking for the perfect strike,” Ramos told MMA Junkie. “I don’t plan to be just another guy in the organization. I want to be as complete a fighter as I can be. I imagine sometimes it might be easier to get a takedown and do my work on the ground, but I aim to keep working on improving my standup. I need to be complete so I can face top opponents.”
In his last fight, Ramos lost to Said Nurmagomedov via first-round TKO at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February. It was an outcome he said he learnt a lot from.
“I had been on a good win streak in the UFC, including a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus,” Ramos said. “My last fight, unfortunately, was a loss. I make no excuses. I’ll just get back to working on my negative and positive points. I’m always looking to improve. Losses happen to make us stronger. My mindset is always on winning, and becoming a champion. Nothing changed in that regard.
“I took a step backwards, but that’s all part of the journey. On that night, I made mistakes regarding distance. Also, my health wasn’t the best, so I went in with lower expectations.”
UFC on ESPN 3 takes place Saturday at Target Center in Minneapolis. The card airs on ESPN.
Having previously spent time training at powerhouse gym, Team Alpha Male, in Sacramento, Calif., Ramos has recently been training in Sao Paulo. His hand injury that forced him to pull out of his fight versus Ricky Simon back in November, lead him back home to Brazil.
“I’ve been working hard on my striking at the CT China academy in Sao Paulo, with emphasis on muay-Thai,” Ramos said. “I was going to fly to the U.S. earlier, but I had to stay in Brazil due to a scheduled travel visa interview.”
Ramos hopes a win at UFC on ESPN 3 will put him back on track, and hopefully land him a ranked opponent next. He said he feels like he’s ready for what’s to come.
“With another victory, I’d like to face someone ranked above me in our weight class,” Ramos said. “Despite my one loss in the UFC, I believe I’ve been able to show I have the skills to be facing top competition.”
For more on UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
