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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