Ethyn Ewing’s UFC debut was such a storybook situation that whatever came next almost was certain to be a letdown.
This past November, Ewing got word Malcolm Wellmaker needed a new opponent at UFC 322. Most fighters early in their MMA careers will take a shot to get into the UFC no matter the circumstances, and Ewing was no different.
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Yet, he was very different in that he was just a few days past a title fight win at bantamweight for Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat promotion in California. The turnaround from his first-round knockout win was just a week – and it was at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Up a division at featherweight under the circumstances, he was a big underdog to Wellmaker, who entered the fight unbeaten. But the 5-1 favorite was outworked by the short-notice Ewing throughout and dropped a decision.
“You fly out on 48 hours’ notice, you fight an undefeated KO artist who is up-and-coming in the UFC and you beat him unanimously, then it is a fantastic night,” Ewing recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “… Hindsight’s 20-20 (for my performance), but I’m all about (that debut). I’m ready for anybody they put in front of me. So to start with a guy like Malcolm Wellmaker and then to get that boost and that jump into the division is fantastic.”
Ewing (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on a second straight unbeaten bantamweight standout when he meets Rafael Estevam (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 272 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Although Estevam is unbeaten and a perfect 3-0 in the UFC after his DWCS contract win in 2022, they’ve all been decisions – and he missed weight badly in two of them.
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Ewing said finding out his second fight in the promotion was going to be a mere Las Vegas Fight Night card, on the heels of fighting at MSG, left a little to be desired. But early on, beggars can’t be choosers. Plus, he got a pretty high-profile spot for just his second UFC fight.
“I was a little bit bummed about having to fight in the APEX after Madison Square Garden – I’ll be totally honest with you,” Ewing said. “But they threw me on the (main card), which is cool. It makes up for it in some way. I just think it’s going to be like fighting at one of the local shows. I just came from that. I’m not too far removed from it, so it’s the same in that aspect to me. It doesn’t change anything. When you get in there and the cage door is locked, it’s a fight. You stand across from your opponent, you’re on the canvas, surrounded by the cage, and it’s all the same every time.”
His sophomore test in the UFC with a full training camp under his belt this time is something Ewing thinks can only work to his advantage, as well.
“With the fight camp under my belt and the preparation that goes into it with a specific opponent in mind, it’s only going to be that much better,” Ewing said. “I foresee a finish on my end. … I’m well-rounded everywhere. My cardio is fantastic everywhere. You guys are going to get to see a lot more of me. I’m going to be able to stuff takedowns, hit reversals, dominate on the top, do all that stuff on the ground that you may not have seen yet. But you’ll certainly see the hands. They’re going to be swift as ever.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ethyn Ewing finds balancing act from UFC MSG to mere Fight Night spot
