Ricardo Lucas Ramos a mix of emotions for UFC Fight Night 104 debut vs. Michinori Tanaka

Ricardo Ramos

Ricardo Lucas Ramos is experiencing the full range of emotions ahead of his UFC debut this Saturday.

Ramos not long ago thought he might have been to the big leagues sooner. But with UFC President Dana White watching him at Legacy FC 51 a year ago this weekend in Minnesota, he said the pressure got to him against Manuel Vazquez.

“It was a difficult road, getting to this point,” Ramos, from Brazil, told MMAjunkie. “But I’m very happy with the results. I know that I deserve to be here, and I’ll prove it. My loss to Manny Vazquez was a positive thing. Today, I’m much more complete, focused and strong. My head is in a much better place now. On that night, I became anxious since Dana White was in attendance.”

On Saturday, Ramos (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) fights Michinori Tanaka (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 104, which takes place at Toyota Center in Houston. The card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. Ramos and Tanaka are part of the prelims on FS1.

But strangely enough, when Ramos got a chance to rebound from his loss to Vazquez, which was the first setback of his pro career, White was there again at an NEF event in Bangor, Maine, where White keeps a residence. The UFC boss was supposed to be checking out Ramos’ opponent, Alfred Khashakyan.

But Ramos had other ideas and took advantage.

“When I fought at NEF, which is when Dana White watched me again, I had more experience so I fought without any weight on my shoulders,” Ramos said. “I knew that all the pressure would be on Alfred Khashakyan since Dana was there to watch him. I knew how he was feeling. I had no pressure on me. I mustered my experience and was able to get the win. I’m very happy with the way things played out.”

Ramos tapped Khashakyan with a rear-naked choke in the second round, and look where it got him.

Now he has an interesting first assignment on his hands against Japan’s Tanaka, whose UFC career has been up and down with a pair of decision wins and a pair of decision losses. Ramos said he’s checked out his still highly regarded 26-year-old opopnent and thinks he has some of his game plan figured out.

“I’ve studied Michinori Tanaka,” Ramos said. “He likes to stall his opponents and win by points. He is also very strong and difficult to submit, but I have faith in my jiu-jitsu if we go to the ground. And if we’re standing, I’m going for the knockout. I’ll fight for as many rounds as necessary.”

Despite admitting to those jitters when White was watching him a year ago, though, Ramos doesn’t believe he’s going to have any reservations once the cage door closes on him and Tanaka on Saturday night.

Many fighters talk about those first-time “octagon jitters,” and Ramos knows his UFC debut is coming on a big stage. So he’s running the gamut of excitement and anxiety – but expects it to wash away when the bell rings against Tanaka.

“I’m very happy and a bit anxious for my UFC debut,” he said. “But the magnitude of the event doesn’t overwhelm me. I’ll just show up and put in the work. I’ll set all worries aside, and do what I do best, which is to fight. I’ll give my best in there.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 104, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.