Preview: UFC 309 Prelims

Featherweights

David Onama (12-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Roberto Romero (8-3-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Onama (-1200), Romero (+800)

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Onama still has a lot to iron out, but he has maintained his status as a prospect to watch during his time in the UFC. The UFC’s first Ugandan fighter impressed in a late-notice debut spot back in 2021, stepping up in weight class and going toe-to-toe against Mason Jones in an entertaining brawl. The hope was that things would then pop for Onama once he was back down at 145 pounds and facing worse competition, but that has only somewhat happened. He has had some impressive moments of fight-ending violence, but getting there has often seen Onama fight down to his level of competition, struggling with some combination of cardio, defense and wrestling along the way. The good news is that Onama is coming off the most consistent performance of his career against one of his toughest opponents, as he held up surprisingly well against a grinding wrestler in Jonathan Pearce and hit him hard over the course of three rounds for his first decision victory. For a follow-up effort, Onama draws a UFC newcomer and late replacement in Romero, who steps in on just a few days’ notice.

Mexico’s Romero comes to the UFC after a solid run with Combate Global over the last few years, as he found success as an aggressive pressure fighter with enough wrestling and grappling to get by. Romero should be up to put in a hard-fought effort, but there just isn’t much horsepower to his game at the moment, so it seems likely he’s going to quickly find himself hitting an athletic ceiling against a potent finisher. The pick is Onama via first-round knockout.

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