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.