Athletes
Ricardo Ramos And The Fighter Lifestyle
Featherweight Looks To Build A Streak Off His Thrilling Austin KO Win Last Year
The UFC’s Fight Night Austin card in the summer of 2022 was like a great album full of great songs. Every fight was thrilling, and nine of the thirteen contests ended with a dramatic finish. And one of the greatest hits of that album came courtesy of Ricardo Ramos’ spinning back elbow KO of Danny Chavez during the prelims. Ramos can’t help but smile at the memory.
"I can feel this, like in my mind and in my heart. It's something that you can’t explain. You just remember and feel it."
The already-raucous Texas crowd were on their feet and Ramos’ KO—the second spinning back elbow finish of his UFC career—was a signal that the evening was going to be a special one. The singular feeling of that moment has propelled him all the way through his current camp.
"After this fight, I was very excited, and preparing myself a lot, training a lot to come back to the cage and do my best; do another great performance."
He’ll try to replicate that Austin magic Saturday vs another Austin—Austin Lingo—on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. More importantly, he’ll be trying to avoid alternating between wins and losses the way he has since 2019.
“Both (wins and losses) teach a lot of good points. When you lose you get bad feelings, so you’ve got to hustle up to come back to the next one. It’s different emotions. But when you win, you get to hyped, like, ‘I'm the guy!’ and you’ve got to control this.
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“For me, this is the key. Sometimes you’ve just got to control it and keep humble; to come back and ‘don’t fall from the horse’ as my father said. If you fall from the horse, it's higher and it’s going to hurt.”
At 16-4 overall since turning pro in 2012, he certainly understands the formula of putting a streak together, as well as staying up on that horse.
Ricardo Ramos Records His Second Spinning Elbow KO | UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs Emmett
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Ricardo Ramos Records His Second Spinning Elbow KO | UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs Emmett
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“Stay consistent, show up at the gym. You lost the fight on Saturday? Monday you're training. Take just a little time to relax but come back to the gym as soon as possible. Because it's not only about winning, it's about being consistent. And it's about not only about the fight, it's about your lifestyle, your mindfulness, how you treat yourself.”
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili
Lifestyle is mentioned frequently when speaking with Ramos, who effortlessly gives off strong Zen vibes, even in casual conversation. Martial arts isn’t merely work for the Brazilian, it’s a way of being. Psychotherapy, yoga and breathing regimens figure heavily into his routine, whether he’s in camp or not.
“The philosophy of jiu jitsu, of martial arts, is good for yourself, not only for my job, it’s a lifestyle. After my UFC career, I’ll still be in mixed martial arts. It’s a lifestyle for me, and consistency is the key.”
Part of that consistency is regularly looking to the youth for inspiration when he’s training at Team Alpha Male.
“You’ve got to always be open-minded and always trying to find new partners. Every time I see someone who is getting better in the gym, I try to train with these guys. People who are starting martial arts, they bring a lot of new visions because they are always getting new information.
“I feel like I'm a little bit old school because I watch Ricardo Arona, Paulo Filho and all the old school guys; Carlson Gracie. That's what my master showed me. So these guys come to the gym with new information. They show me like Gordon Ryan and all these guys from jiu jitsu and new guys from MMA, new kinds of MMA competitions. And I start to learn from them. So I'm always trying to be close to this person who tries to bring new stuff.”
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Another source of youthful inspiration is his daughter, not yet two years old. The long weeks away from her and the inadequate Facetime calls can be frustrating, especially when the toddler doesn’t yet understand what Dad does for a living.
“But she will one day, and I hope she doesn't follow the same way,” he says with a smile.
This is surprising, if only because fighting seems to perfectly suit her father. "Carcacinha" exudes a balanced personality that is noticeable amongst his peers. Is he suggesting she’s not allowed to go into the family business?
“Well, it's her choice. But I'm a fighter. I don't want her to do all these things we do. It's pretty good for me. It's my dream, but not for my baby.”
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili took place live from The Theater At Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on March 11, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive all the action at UFC Fight Pass!
