Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 55

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 55 bout between Jonathan Pearce and David Onama.

Jonathan Pearce and David Onama meet Saturday on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama UFC on ESPN 55 preview

Pearce (14-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Onama (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) represent the lone featherweight fight on the UFC on ESPN 55 card. Both compete in their first fight of 2024… Pearce will seek to rebound from a submission loss to Joanderson Brito in November. The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak that included three finishes. … Onama looks to keep the momentum going from a knockout win over Gabriel Santos last June. The victory put him over .500 for his UFC Career, having split his first four octagon bouts.

Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama expert pick, prediction

Last event’s results: 4-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2024: 28-29-2

The fight between Pearce and Onama serves as a solid offering at featherweight. Unfortunately, Onama missed weight for this contest (and will subsequently be fined 20 percent of his purse), but the fight is thankfully still on.

Despite Onama having the higher ceiling and finishing potential between the two, I suspect that Pearce’s pressure-grappling style could prove to be extra problematic in the smaller octagon of the UFC Apex.

I still want to see more improvements from Pearce, but I believe that Onama’s lack of defensive hand-fighting and reliance on athletic scrambling will get him stuck in quicksand.

Even though it’s “dog or pass” from a betting perspective, I’ll reluctantly take Pearce to grind out a decision win.

Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama odds

The odds makers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Jonathan Pearce (-170) and David Onama (+138) via FanDuel.

Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama start time, how to watch

As the second fight on the main card, Pearce and Lane are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 7:40 p.m. ET (4:40 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”