UFC Fight Night: Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Preview & Prediction
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The second fight of the main card plays host to a bantamweight tilt, with Ricky Simon primed to square off against Raoni Barcelos at 135 pounds.
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos facts
What time are Ricky Simon and Raoni Barcelos expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown? UFC Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC on ESPN 73: Bonfim vs Brown main card
Gabriel Bonfim vs Randy Brown (Welterweight)
Matt Schnell vs Joseph Morales (Flyweight)
Muslim Salikhov vs Uros Medic (Welterweight)
Chris Padilla vs Ismael Bonfim (Lightweight)
Christian Leroy Duncan vs Marco Tulio (Middleweight)
UFC on ESPN 73: Bonfim vs Brown prelims
Hyder Amil vs Jamall Emmers (Featherweight)
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos (Bantamweight)
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Jacqueline Cavalcanti (Women’s Bantamweight)
Josh Hokit vs Max Gimenis (Heavyweight)
Miles Johns vs Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
Tecia Pennington vs Denise Gomes (Women’s Strawweight)
Jackson McVey vs Zachary Reese (Catchweight - 195 lb)
Ricky Simon: The American looks to score his third successive win and re-enter the rankings
Arguably the most highly regarded bantamweight currently plying his trade outside of the UFC rankings, many had Ricky Simon (22-6) pegged as a future champion during the early stages of his career. While he's failed to live up those lofty expectations, Simon typically only ever loses to the upper echelon of the division; the American can even lay claim to a controversial submission victory over divisional GOAT Merab Dvalishvili during the early stages of his career! A dynamic wrestle boxer, Simon enters this contest off a two fight win streak, starching Javid Basharat with a first round KOTY contender and earning a clear cut decision over Cameron Smotherman.
Raoni Barcelos: Can the Brazilian add another scalp to his ever growing list of late career wins?
Following a brutal 1-5 skid after beginning his career at 16-1, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Raoni Barcelos (20-5) around a year ago. However, he's been nothing short of sensational since, switching up his approach to lean on his grappling to earn a trio of unlikely victories over Cristian Quinonez, top prospect, Payton Talbott, and former champion, Cody Garbrandt. His win over Talbott was one of the biggest upsets of the year, underlining that Barcelos is still a live dog in the 135 pound shark tank,
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos prediction
Pitting two of the best fringe contenders at 135 pounds against one another, you'd be hard pushed to find a higher level unranked bantamweight fight.
Barcelos' recent resurgence has been a treat to watch. He looked to be down and out following a 1-5 run between 2021 and 2023, but he's gone on to score his biggest name victories in what is purportedly the twilight of his career.
Unfortunately in this case, he's largely been winning his fights by relying on his grappling, an area where Simon figures to have the advantage courtesy of his wrestling pedigree, takedown defense, and overall athleticism. If he's unable to drag the American to the mat, Barcelos could find himself forced to engage with Simon on the feet. While the Brazilian is no slouch in the stand up, Simon looks to have a considerable edge in speed and power over the 38 year old.
In many senses, this matchup has a similar feel to Simon's contest against Raphael Assuncao in 2021; a fight against an extremely well-rounded, but considerably older, staple of the division that saw him win by brutal KO. Considering that he's also just a fight removed from decimating Javid Basharat in similar fashion, the pick is for him to land something murderous on Barcelos early to put the Brazilian's feel-good run to an end.
Prediction: Ricky Simon to win by KO
