Shannon Ross plans to show fans he belongs with stoppage win over Jesus Aguilar at UFC 290

Shannon Ross is looking to prove to the doubters that he belongs in the UFC.

Ross suffered a TKO loss to Vinicius Salvador on the Contender Series, but it was revealed he fought with appendicitis, so Dana White signed him. In his debut, he suffered a 59-second knockout loss to Kleydson Rodrigues and wasn’t sure what would be next after the setback.

Yet, Shannon Ross got the call to face Jesus Aguilar at UFC 290 on International Fight Week which he was pumped about.

“Just to get a spot on this card is massive. I think 99 percent of the UFC roster wants to be on this card, with it being International Fight Week and all the stuff that goes on,” Ross said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “For me, to get on this card is massive and to fight in front in front of the American fans will be superb.”

Entering this fight, Shannon Ross is the betting underdog and knows people are already writing him off. With that, the Aussie plans to prove he belongs in the UFC with a solid performance at UFC 290.

“You have a shitty performance in your debut and that is what people are remembering you for. To get back in there and right that wrong, it’s big for me because I know how I can fight and how I can perform,” Ross said. “It will be good to get in there to prove to the UFC fans that I belong here. There is a little bit extra pressure coming off the loss to the debut.”

Ross eyes stoppage win

Against Jesus Aguilar, Shannon Ross knows the Mexican will want to grapple him and get a submission. However, Ross is confident he has all the tools to keep the fight standing and eventually get a TKO victory.

“Jesus comes from the Contender Series as well so watched that fight and his debut. I’m very confident in the matchup with the way he fights and the way I fight,” Ross said. “It will be an exciting fight for sure… He likes that guillotine a lot. A lot of guys he has finished with that guillotine have put themselves in that position. For me, it’s about being smart for the whole 15 minutes and not putting myself in those bad positions. Just stick to my game plan and capitalize when I see the opportunity and look for a finish. It will be a pretty action-packed fight.”

Should Shannon Ross get the stoppage win at UFC 290, he says the hope is to make a quick turnaround and fight on the Sydney card in September.

“It is still early days. Coming off the first loss, it’s just about getting this win at all costs and moving on from there. The UFC is back in Australia in eight or nine weeks. So, if I could get a quick turnaround and be on that card would be awesome,” Ross concluded.