Athletes
David Onama: A Wild Week, A Big Opportunity
Featherweight Discusses Late Opponent Change, Competing At Madison Square Garden
When David Onama boarded his flight for New York City earlier this week, the UFC featherweight prospect did so without an opponent in place, as the man he was scheduled to face this weekend at UFC 309, Lucas Almeida, was forced to withdraw midway through last week.
“It’s been a tough week,” Onama said with a smile from his hotel room on Wednesday, just a couple days before he’ll share the Octagon with newcomer Roberto Romero in what promises to be an action-packed matchup on Saturday’s preliminary card at Madison Square Garden. “When Lucas Almeida pulled out, my coach was like, ‘Let’s stay ready, keep doing what you’ve been doing.’ So I listened to my coach, and kept doing what I’d been doing without an opponent. I still wanted to do my job, and I knew my manager Jason House was gonna find me a new opponent.
“I did what I had to do to stay ready for this fight.”
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After touching down in the Empire State and going through the usual routine upon arriving at the host hotel during Fight Week, Onama and his team received word that Romero had been tabbed to replace Almeida, meaning the business trip to NYC this week still came with an important business meeting at the end.
A member of Team Oyama, the 24-year-old newcomer has won seven of his last nine appearances, going 7-1-1 during that stretch after opening his professional career with a 1-2 mark. He’s improved each time out, growing as he’s gained more experience, having most recently registered a first-round submission win over Japanese veteran Takahiro Ashida back in July.
David Onama Sinks In Arm Triangle In Round Two | UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Fiziev
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David Onama Sinks In Arm Triangle In Round Two | UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Fiziev
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“Roberto is a good opponent — a striker, a tough guy, and he’s durable,” began Onama, offering what little assessment he could of Romero after just a couple days to look over his tape. “It’s a good matchup, I like it, and that’s why we took it, but it doesn’t matter who it is.
“I’m glad he stepped up and I got a fight because without him, none of this would have happened.”
That “doesn’t matter who it is” mentality isn’t bravado or dismissiveness, but rather a confidence build by having navigated difficult roads and continued moving forward through the first three years of his UFC career.
Like Romero, Onama’s debut came on short notice when he jumped up a division and battled former Cage Warriors double champ Mason Jones tooth-and-nail before dropping a decision to “The Welsh Dragon.” Since returning to his natural featherweight surroundings, the 30-year-old from Uganda has gone 4-1, posting a pair of wins on either side of a majority decision loss to Nate Landwehr in one of the most entertaining fights of 2022.
Along the way, Onama was forced to change jumps and ultimately relocate, landing in Edgewood, Colorado at Factory X Muay Thai.
“Ever since Coach Marc (Montoya) welcomed me to the team, it’s a family thing — I felt welcomed from Day One, and I’ve leveled up so much in eight months, working with Coach Marc back-to-back,” began Onama, who was one of several athletes required to pivot on the fly when Glory MMA & Kickboxing in Kansas City abruptly closed its doors. “Moving from Kansas City to Denver was hard for me — moving out, leaving my family behind for now, trying to get used to the gym, the city, the environment, the altitude, it was hard, but we got through that.
“I’ve developed so much, not even as a fighter, but just as a person,” continued the talented featherweight, who won his debut with his new team in April, besting Jonathan Pearce on the scorecards. “It takes a lot for someone to leave their family and move to a whole different city. I’m here to do the best for me and my family, and that’s why I made that move.”
In landing with the highly respected team, Onama found himself training alongside another ascending talent in the 145-pound ranks, Youssef Zalal, who returned to the UFC fold in March and has been on an absolute tear ever since.
“The Moroccan Devil” was in Onama’s corner for his victory over Pearce, and just a couple weeks after submitting Jack Shore in Edmonton, he’ll be with his teammate in New York, as well, bringing energy and a little added motivation to the mix this week for his fellow featherweight.
UFC 309 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | Jones vs Miocic | Oliveira vs Chandler 2
“Youssef is an incredible fighter, and it means a lot to be training with him, being training partners,” offered Onama, smiling as he heaped praise on his surging teammate. “He’s a good teammate, a great fighter, and having him helping me in my fight camps, coming out to my fights, cornering me, that means a lot to me.
“We go back and forth because we’re the only ‘45ers in the UFC (in the gym). He got his win, now I go get my win, so it’s kind of a back-and-forth thing. I feel like me and him are the next big things coming up at ’45 from that gym in the UFC.”
The “from that gym” qualifier might not be needed, as Zalal and Onama are two of the best emerging talents in the division, full stop, and Saturday’s bout with Romero is a chance for him to show that once more.
But it’s also about taking in the moment, as there is a piece of all this that still feels surreal to a man who moved with his family to this country 20 years ago and always dreamed of being a fighter.
“I came here for an education and a better life for us,” said Onama, who moved with his family from Uganda when he was 10 years old. “I graduated, college didn’t work out for me because I didn’t have the money for it, and I was so good at fighting that I started training martial arts. I always wanted to be a UFC fighter, but I didn’t know how to get into it.”
He eventually found the path, and now he’s more than three years into a career competing on the biggest stage in the sport.
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“Time flies,” he said, smiling, when asked about already being three years into his UFC run. “It doesn’t really feel like it’s been three years. It doesn’t feel real to me. I’m here to enjoy the moment.
“Sometimes I think about it and think, ‘This can’t be real.’ It’s a dream come true: a kid that never had nothing, fighting at MSG this weekend, Jon Jones being the headliner; it’s crazy.”
And after starting the week unsure if he would get to make the walk on Saturday night, all Onama wants to do now is stride out to the Octagon and deliver — for himself, his team, and the fans.
“I’m always gonna do what I have to do,” he said confidently. “This is a huge opportunity for me, fighting at Madison Square Garden, so I just want to come out, perform, give the fans what they wanna see, and get my hand raised.”
UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic took place live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on November 16, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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