UFC Fight Night: Ethyn Ewing vs Rafael Estevam Preview & Prediction
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Two skilful bantamweights faceoff on the UFC Fight Night 272 main card, as technician Ethyn Ewing looks to back up his stunning MSG upset when he faces the undefeated grappler Rafael Estevam.
Ethyn Ewing vs Rafael Estevam facts
What time are Ethyn Ewing and Rafael Estevam expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 272
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan main card
Renato Moicano vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)
Virna Jandiroba vs Tabatha Ricci (Women’s Strawweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Brendson Ribeiro (Light Heavyweight)
Ethyn Ewing vs Rafael Estevam (Bantamweight)
Tommy McMillen vs Manolo Zecchini (Featherweight)
Jose Mauro Delano vs Robert Ruchala (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan prelims
Guilherme Pat vs Thomas Petersen (Heavyweight)
Alessandro Costa vs Stewart Nicoll (Flyweight)
Lando Vannata vs Darrius Flowers (Lightweight)
Alice Pereira vs Hailey Cowan (Women’s Bantamweight)
Azamat Bekoev vs Tresean Gore (Middleweight)
Dione Barbosa vs Melissa Gatto (Women’s Flyweight)
Ethyn Ewing: Can the construction worker turned UFC star keep his perfect run going?
Ethyn Ewing (9-2) lost his first two professional fights before reeling off nine consecutive victories, culminating in one of the more remarkable UFC debut stories in recent memory. Ewing caught the eyes of many when he stepped in on short-notice to hand unbeaten prospect Malcolm Wellmaker his first professional loss. The American bantamweight has since stepped away from his day job in construction safety to train full-time for this fight, and believes this camp will produce the best version of himself yet. Sharp distance management, a fast and powerful jab, well-timed head kicks, and smart angling out of exchanges make Ewing a handful for anyone at 135 pounds. It will be exciting following how this man develops in his career.
Rafael Estevam: Unbeaten Brazilian grappler stepping up to bantamweight
Rafael Estevam (14-0) although undefeated, has had a path far from smooth so far - a tumour diagnosis requiring two surgeries kept him sidelined for over a year after his debut, and repeated weight management issues at flyweight have now pushed him up to bantamweight for this contest. Estevam is a cagey grappler who excels in the clinch, using judo throws and takedowns to take his opponents onto the mat before working patient top control and submission threats. His striking is underused, decent boxing and useful kicks, but he prefers to hunt the takedown instead. The Brazilian gets hit quite a bit on the feet and tires noticeably in the later rounds, this is where his opponents start to land more freely.
Ethyn Ewing vs Rafael Estevam prediction
This fight comes down to whether Estevam can get Ewing to the mat and keep him there. His grappling is the clear path to victory where his clinch work and transitions are legitimate weapons, but Ewing's wrestling background and composure under pressure will make those takedowns harder to secure than they've been against flyweights. Estevam's striking defence is a liability against someone with Ewing's accuracy and power. Estevam's upright stance and minimal head movement allows opponents to land shots freely when on the feet, this is especially dangerous against Ewing who sets his head kick up cleanly.
The later rounds are where this fight should open up decisively. Estevam fades badly as fights progress, and Ewing has the volume and sharpness to exploit it. If Ewing can stay disciplined in the first round or two, managing the grappling threat and picking his shots on the feet, the finishing opportunity should present itself when Estevam's output drops. Back the American to finish the fight in the final two rounds.
Prediction: Ethyn Ewing to win by KO/TKO in round three
