Under travel ban, Ricardo Ramos still uses UFC Performance Institute resources
Ricardo Ramos is not letting the COVID-19 pandemic or a United State’s travel ban on Brazil get in his way of using the UFC Performance Institute.
Training inside his garage in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ramos is about 5,600 miles away from the UFC PI in Las Vegas, Nevada. If that’s not enough of an obstacle, Ramos is unable to travel to the United States after President Donal Trump issued a travel ban to those coming from Brazil due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Whether it’s on his phone or by his computer, Ramos is keeping in contact with his UFC PI representative.
“Now I am at my garage, so what I can do is talk to my coach and ask him what I can do. I am having all the training that the PI gave to me,” Ramos said.
“I sent everything I have in my garage and he did a prescription for my training program for conditioning and strength. So we’re doing the best we can with what we got right here.”
Making it work
Unable to travel to one of the UFC’s events in the United States, Ramos is waiting patiently for Fight Island. According to UFC President Dana White, the promotion will hold events on the island all throughout July.
Until then, the 24-year-old continues to train under the guidance of the UFC PI staff.
“Now we have a relationship,” Ramos said. “I always speak with them when I need to change my program or to talk to them about my nutritionist plan. Everything I need when I need, I can just text message them or call them and they will be ready for me, ready to help.”
A change in class
After going 4-1 as a bantamweight inside the octagon, Ricardo Ramos made his UFC featherweight debut in November 2019. He submitted Eduardo Garagorri in the opening round at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo.
His decision to move up a weight class stemmed from digestive problems he suffered after previous weigh ins. Ramos noted his performance diminished from his cut, ultimately leading to a change in weight class.
It’s a decision the UFC PI recommended him to make before his TKO loss to Said Nurmagomedov at UFC on ESPN+2 in February 2019.
“The UFC PI has a lot of hands on that because they gave me all the tests, all the numbers and all the information that I need to see that was the best weight to go,” Ramos said. “They told me to change my division before my loss to Said because my body was having strange problems.”
Been here before
A pandemic like COVID-19 is tough to predict, but the Brazilian is used to working with the institute from afar. Training with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California since 2018, Ramos keeps in touch with the UFC PI staff during his camps in the United States.
“I was kind of ready for this situation,” Ramos said.
Ramos prepared to fight at UFC 250 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 9. The event was later postponed due to the current pandemic.
As much a mystery as Fight Island seems, it is Ramos’ best option to compete. He remains optimistic that a return to the octagon will come sooner rather than later.
For now, Ricardo Ramos is putting in the work for when the time comes to fight.
“I hope next week they can call me and say something,” Ramos said. “I’m still training, I’m still ready and I’m still in shape. I just need a date and name and I’m ready to go.”
