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UFC’s Ethyn Ewing knows it’s his time to flourish

April 2, 2026

Time waits for no one, or so they say. Try telling that to Ethyn Ewing.

The Yorba Linda bantamweight beat the clock in November, needing just 60 hours to somehow get all his affairs in order and fly to New York to pull off a massive upset in his UFC debut.

One month later, time stopped when Ewing and his wife Haley became first-time parents and welcomed their son into the world.

On Saturday, Ewing will have been afforded more than 1,000 hours to prepare for his sophomore fight in MMA’s premier promotion when he takes on undefeated Rafael Estevam on the main card of UFC Fight Night 272 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

“It’s fantastic. Every time I get a full camp in, then sky’s the limit, so it’s been great, man,” Ewing, 28, said recently in an interview inside The Den Training Center owned and operated by coach Ben Jones in Yorba Linda.

Estevam, 29, hasn’t lost in 14 pro fights and is 3-0 in the UFC, all via unanimous decision. He is, however, making his debut at 135 pounds after missing weight in his last fight by four pounds, the second time in three flyweight bouts he had issues making 126 pounds.

Ewing (9-2) and Jones know what the Brazilian brings to the cage – a takedown-heavy offense geared toward controlling his opponent on the mat.

UFC bantamweight Ethyn Ewing trains at the Den Training Center in Yorba Linda, CA, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Ewing returns to the Octagon vs. undefeated Rafael Estevam at UFC Fight Night on April 4 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

“Personally, I’m free and I’m fluid, and a fight is a fight. So, you know, I see a one-dimensional fighter in him. I know he’s tough. I know he has his abilities. So even with that one dimension, he’s going to be strong in what he does,” Ewing said. “But again, I’m ready for the takedowns. I’m ready for the grappling, and though everybody has a swinger’s chance on the feet, I’m very well prepared for it. And I’m going to treat this guy like he’s, you know, the highest class out there, so that I go and perform to the highest of my abilities.”

Jones used to train MMA with Ewing’s father, Steve, who brought his son to the former Los Alamitos High football star to begin his pro combat sports career. Ewing had a standout wrestling career at Canyon High in Anaheim before continuing at King University in Tennessee.

In addition to his grappling skills, Ewing also shows quick, sharp striking and a sizable gas tank. For that, Jones likes his fighter’s chances.

“When you compare him to Ethan, he is a one-dimensional fighter,” Jones said of Estevam. “He has really one avenue to win this fight. And what happens is, when you go in there and you stop the dimension that they have, they do two things: They freeze up or they do something desperate. And we’re going to force him to do what he’s not good at. And when that happens, you’re going to see something special. Mark my words, you’re going to see something special come that Saturday.”

Fight fans already saw something special from Ewing less than five months ago. Due to another fighter’s injury, Ewing awoke on a Thursday morning to an offer to sign with the UFC if he could get his medicals done, make it to New York City and cut 11 pounds by Friday morning and be ready to fight undefeated featherweight prospect Malcolm Wellmaker on Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden.

Having already fought a week before, Ewing did all of that and more: He won a unanimous decision, in a higher weight class, to stun fight fans around the globe. Ewing and Jones said they had their “pinch me” moments after the fight, on the flight home and beyond.

“I don’t know, every day after it? Just pops into your mind,” Ewing said. “You’re like, ‘That really happened,’ you know? We were in New York and at Madison Square Garden, and that … happened.”

After the tumult died down, Ewing was able to return to work – making the lengthy commute to Culver City as a safety manager – and prepare for the birth of his son.

Even then, Ewing recognizes his incredible fortune with a good baby and a doting wife. “That’s the best thing I’ve done to date, and probably will ever do, is being a father. It’s, it’s fantastic,” he said.

What’s more, when he notified his company that his next fight was official and he was planning to give his two weeks’ notice, his boss told him to hold off. They’ll keep him on the books through the fight so he can focus on getting his hand raised again.

“I’ve been able to fully focus on just being in camp instead of having to balance between work and this and that,” Ewing said. “Yeah, I do have the little baby boy at home, so there is an added level of energy. But my wife has been amazing. She stays up at night with him and watches him all day while I go to train and I get to be back with them in the afternoon. So it’s very good to have a full camp for this one.”

Coach Ben Jones with UFC bantamweight Ethyn Ewing at the Den Training Center in Yorba Linda, CA, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Ewing returns to the Octagon vs. undefeated Rafael Estevam at UFC Fight Night on April 4 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

With Ewing, there is a gratitude for what he has and those around him. He embraces the diligence, from rounds to running, so much so that Jones says he rarely has to worry about him.

Their bond is evident in training, speaking their own language from mentor to mentee. They watch their own film and compare notes.

Jones knows his fighter is special – “How many go from the prelims in their first fight to the main card?” he asked – and says his maturity and discipline are unparalleled.

“The way he trains, the way he prepares himself and how he listens to all of the people that he has around, like we’ll call it his circle. It’s an unfair advantage,” Jones said. “He has an unfair advantage with every fight he goes into. This fight, wait till you see this advantage. And trust me again, everybody else, they’re going to look at it on paper and they’re going to see 14-0 and … they’re gonna see 9-2 and they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah, 14-0. Guaranteed.’

“(Estevam) has had multiple fights in the UFC. They have no idea. They got no idea what’s coming at him.”

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 272

When: Saturday

Where: Meta APEX, Las Vegas

How to watch: Paramount+ (prelims 2 p.m.; main card 5 p.m.)

UFC’s Ethyn Ewing knows it’s his time to flourish Orange County Register

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UFC’s Ethyn Ewing knows it’s his time to flourish

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 272

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