Prior to Jesse Ronson getting the call to fight Nicolas Dalby at UFC on ESPN 14 on July 25, the Canadian had doubts about his future in the sport.
“I wasn’t expecting [to get signed] at all, I was borderline ready to give up,” Ronson told Cageside Press recently.
Ronson (21-10) previously fought three times in the UFC, coming up short against Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinado, and Kevin Lee. All those setbacks were by split decision, which is why after racking up wins on the regional scene, Ronson got another opportunity to fight at UFC 231 against Diego Ferriera in December 2018.
Unfortunately “The Body Snatcher” wasn’t cleared by medical doctors to compete after it was determined he would be cutting too much weight. The UFC terminated Ronson’s contract after his weight cut miscalculation.
“That was very heartbreaking, the Diego Ferriera thing because I had seen guys take catchweight [fights] before,” Ronson explained. “[The UFC was like] ‘no, f*ck you. You know what? Like, you’ve wasted our time and you said you wouldn’t. You went back on what you said.’ So [Sean Shelby’s] like ‘you’re never gonna fight in the UFC again.'”
The 34-year-old ended up making amends with Shelby after writing the UFC matchmaker an apology. Meanwhile, Ronson opted to compete in PFL last year for a more lucrative opportunity.
Now back with the UFC, Jesse Ronson is looking to make a statement as he aims to capture his first victory in the Octagon. With Dalby’s impressive cardio, Ronson is hoping to finish the fight early and not let the fight hit the judges scorecards.
“[Dalby] is probably the best gas tank guy I’ve ever fought,” Ronson said. “So we’re going to be bringing it the whole time. For some reason, most of my finishes happened in the second round, and like everybody that’s messaged me tells me, they’re like ‘I think you’ll do it in the second round.’ Obviously, I’d like to do it in the first or even the third. I don’t freaking care, but I have a feeling I’m gonna put them away. I’m gonna hurt them, stun him, and I’m going to put them away in the second round.”
UFC Fight Fight Night takes place on July 25 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faces Darren Till in the main event.
