Rafa Garcia vs. Jesse Ronson
Rafa Garcia and Jesse Ronson meet in a lightweight scrap that is sure to be fireworks on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
After landing on the wrong end of things in each of his first two UFC appearances, Garcia finally got into the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Natan Levy towards the end of November. The 27-year-old was unbeaten prior to arriving in the UFC and now that he’s got things moving in the right direction, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him start consistently posting positive results.
Ronson’s UFC experience to date has been a nightmare. In his first tour with the company, the Canadian veteran dropped three straight split decisions to Michel Prazares, Francisco Trinaldo, and Kevin Lee, and when he finally worked his way back seven years later, his first-round submission win over Nicolas Dalby was overturned and ruled a no contest after “The Body Snatcher” tested positive for a banned substance.
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Cleared of any intentional wrongdoing and ready to get back to business, Ronson will once again be looking to secure his first UFC victory this weekend.
Garcia fought quality competition just prior to reaching the UFC and now has his feet under him in the Octagon, and Ronson is surely champing at the bit to get back out there, so this should be an exciting, explosive contest from the outset and for as long as it lasts.
Pat Sabatini vs. TJ Laramie
Pat Sabatini looks to build on his impressive rookie campaign as he makes the first start of his sophomore year on the UFC roster opposite returning Canadian TJ Laramie this weekend.
The 31-year-old Philadelphia native and former CFFC featherweight champ posted three wins in as many appearances in 2021, sandwiching a submission finish over Jamall Emmers between decisive decision wins over Tristan Connelly and Tucker Lutz. A no-nonsense grinder with a sharp grappling acumen and sound fundamentals, Sabatini is the type of experienced, unflappable competitor that could quickly ascend the ranks in the 145-pound weight class if he keeps stacking victories.
Stepping in for fellow Canuck Gavin Tucker, Laramie competes for the first time in more than 18 months after losing all of last year to various injuries and ailments. The DWCS grad was a highly regarded prospect on the Canadian regional circuit and holds a win over current featherweight hopeful Charles Jourdain, but he was submitted in just 52 seconds in his promotional debut last time out, making him a major question mark heading into this one.
This is an interesting matchup as Sabatini looks to keep things rolling and show he merits a step up in competition, while Laramie gets the chance to make up for his debut setback and then some by halting the Philadelphian’s winning ways on somewhat short notice. Featherweight is always flush with talent and the competition is always tight, so it should be fun to see how this one plays out come Saturday night.
