Image Credit: UFC
Andre Ewell planning to steal the show against Julio Arce; hunt legends after UFC Vegas 32
There is no shortage of bantamweight action at this weekend’s UFC Vegas 32 event, with the main event featuring former champion TJ Dillashaw returning from a two-year suspension and taking on top contender, Cory Sandhagen. With bantamweights filling up the card throughout and matchups that are sure to excite fight fans, one fighter in particular, Andre Ewell, has plans to steal the show as he takes on Julio Arce.
Repping a new nickname as “Afro-Monkey”, Ewell is looking to get back into the win column after dropping his last fight to Chris Gutierrez in a catchweight fight at UFC 251. During an interview with MyMMANews, Ewell talked about his plans to steal the show at UFC Vegas 32 with a card featuring plenty of bantamweights, his plan to go after legendary names in the division afterwards, and why he’s open to fighting at both bantamweight and featherweight.
With plenty of intrigue throughout the fight card that features great matchups not only in bantamweight but across several weight classes, Andre Ewell sold the event from top to bottom but, voiced his focus on stealing the show.
“You got obviously TJ [Dillashaw] ex-champ, and Cory who most people feel like will be the future champ. At the end of the day, people know that bantamweight is awesome, it’s a place where everybody wants to end up tuning in and watch. You’ve got myself that’s open to fighting at bantamweight and featherweight. So, I’ve got an awesome fight, everybody that’s on this card has an awesome fight.
Granted, I’m here to steal the show. There’s none of that. I’m not trying to hear it. In my eyes basically Julio and I are the main card in this fight, we’re fighting for belts type of thing, like who’s going to end up running this weight class type thing. After that gets set and settled, we’ll move on. But Saturday night, it’s about me and Julio.”
Stealing the show and taking the spotlight on a card full of exciting fights will be a challenge that Andre Ewell is up for, and he believes he has a game opponent to help the cause, but he just hopes Arce comes out ready for a war.
.@daii24_dre may have dropped the greatest promo ever in the history of @OnTheMic_Pod when I asked him what he saw in his opponent Julio Arce #UFCVegas32 🤣@dodge_sports @MichaelFiedel pic.twitter.com/a8bHg5wtGC
— Mike Pendleton (@MP2310) July 23, 2021
“I know he’s a Golden Gloves guy and I know he’s probably working on his well-round game because anyone that fights me always become wrestlers, but at the end of the day I know he’s a game opponent and that’s the type of opponent that I like. Anyone that’s down to throw. I’m hoping that we ain’t going to be out there hugging and rubbing on the floor and shit. I definitely want a show. I want a banger, I want to throw hands, and I want to throw hands until I fall onto my own shield. If I’m able to die by throwing hands, that’s how I want this show to be. Cause I am the guy who ends up floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee, but in my case I’m the hummingbird cause I’m out here floating.”
With an ex-champion in TJ Dillashaw fighting on the card and another former champion Dominick Cruz set to be on the broadcast team, Andre Ewell is also focused on what’s next for him, and he believes there are a few legendary names he can aim for, if he’s victorious over Arce this weekend.
“At the end of the day, this game is very strategic. At the end of the day, if you fight legends, you win and beat legends, they [UFC] push behind you. Because the fact is, the legends are triggered with the audience. In California if you say UFC, you think Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber. If you fight The California Kid, you beat The California Kid, you become The California Kid, and they’ll end up tagging my name with California with me fighting and beating either Urijah Faber or Dominick Cruz. I go ahead and fight those two legends, I win, I am the man, no matter how you look at it.
I’ll be the next Conor McGregor, meaning I’ll be the one that everyone wants to fight, I’ll be the one that they [UFC] wants to push on, and I’ll be able to call anyone and everyone out. Hell, I think I’ll end up bringing Chad Mendes out of retirement.”
All in all, Andre Ewell has just one goal in mind, get the victory on Saturday and put himself in a place to succeed and face some of the biggest names the UFC has ever offered at both bantamweight and featherweight.
“That fight right there is going to end up placing me where I am basically well fit for 145 and at the same time, 135.”
He has a plan and a path, now Andre Ewell is just hoping he has the perfect opponent that allows him to steal the show on Saturday night, and go on to become a hunter of legendary names across two divisions.
Full interview with Andre Ewell below:
