Vinicius Oliveira vs Ricky Simón

Age 30

Height 5' 9"

Reach 70.0"

Weight 135 lbs.

Stance Switch

UFC SD

Age 33

Height 5' 6"

Reach 69"

Weight 135 lbs.

Stance Orthodox

UFC SD

Career Averages - Vinicius Oliveira

4.73 SLpM

43.0% Str. Acc.

2.7 SApM

57.0% Str. Def.

1.45 TD Avg

46.0% TD Acc.

70.0% TD Def.

0.2 Sub. Avg

Career Averages - Ricky Simón

3.03 SLpM

42.0% Str. Acc.

3.9 SApM

61.0% Str. Def.

4.49 TD Avg

41.0% TD Acc.

76.0% TD Def.

0.3 Sub. Avg

Vinicius Oliveira - Fight History

CANCEL vs Giga Chikadze

UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi · Jun 20, 2026

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 19, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira (Lock Dog) over Andre Fili, citing Oliveira's relentless pace and work rate. He notes Oliveira is always moving forward, throwing strikes, and mixing in takedowns, which leads to high DFS scores. He worries about Fili's low fight IQ and tendency to abandon game plans, but acknowledges Fili's wrestling experience. He believes Oliveira's busy style will overwhelm Fili.

Angelo mentions Oliveira's DFS scoring history (98, 73, 80, 88 points) and that he covers his salary. He says he'll put Oliveira in his lineup.

"I think Locked Dog wins this fight because he is insanely busy, and I think he can score well because I can see Locked Dog wrestling a bit."

We Want Picks

SCHED vs Andre Fili

UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi · Jun 20, 2026

AJ DeVito Expert Confident picked Jun 17, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Andre Fili

AJ sees Andre Fili as a live underdog at +200, believing Fili can catch Oliveira with straight punches. He notes Oliveira's awkwardness and potential quit after a broken arm, and thinks Fili's recent performance against Delgado shows he's sharp. AJ doubts Oliveira's move up to 145 and thinks Fili deserves respect.

"Andre Fili at +200. I was this close to doing Andre Fili as my underdog lock."

MMA Experts

AJ DeVito Expert Confident picked Jun 19, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Andre Fili

AJ picks Andre Fili as an underdog, doubting Oliveira's move to 145 after a broken arm and loss. He believes Fili can outbox him, being taller and longer, and that Oliveira's size bullying won't work at featherweight. He calls the -285 line on Oliveira crazy.

Fili moneyline; Fili split decision +1200; over 1.5 -210

"I'm going with Andre Phy, bro. ... I'm not believing in Venicius, dude."

MMA Experts

AJ DeVito Expert Hesitant picked Jun 15, 2026 (5 days before fight)

Andre Fili

AJ picks Fili as an underdog, citing Oliveira's poor defense, recent broken arm, and move up in weight. He thinks Fili's veteran savvy, reach, and clean punching will be key, and expects a competitive decision win or possibly a knockout.

Fili decision +315, over 2.5 rounds -135

"I'm going Andre Philly. I think Philly's live for the shock in this one."

MMA Experts

AJ DeVito Expert Confident picked Jun 16, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Andre Fili

AJ picks Andre Fili as an underdog, arguing that Oliveira's bullying style won't work at 145 where he loses size advantage. He notes Fili is a technical striker with good footwork and has looked sharp against tough opponents. He expects Fili to outpoint Oliveira, possibly by split decision, and calls Fili his underdog lock.

Fili by decision +315, Fili by split decision +1050

"I think Andre Phy close decision. ... I'm picking Feelely at plus 205. I'm going crafty veteran getting the win over an overrated guy."

MMA Experts

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 19, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo mentions Oliveira's DFS scoring history (98, 73, 80, 88 points) and that he covers his salary. He says he'll put Oliveira in his lineup.

"I think Locked Dog wins this fight because he is insanely busy, and I think he can score well because I can see Locked Dog wrestling a bit."

We Want Picks

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Jun 17, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Oliveira but is hesitant, worried that Fili might finally live up to his potential. He thinks Oliveira will outwork Fili with pressure, takedowns, and volume, and expects the fight to go the distance. He has a small bet on Oliveira and notes that Oliveira's last loss was to a top contender.

Small bet; expects fight to go the distance

"I think Venicious wins his fight. He's fighting Andre Phy. Andre Phy is the half that scares me."

We Want Picks

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 14, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira, citing his pressure and pace as key in a three-round fight. He has concerns about Oliveira's takedown defense against Andre Fili's wrestling, but still believes Oliveira's chaos and aggression will be too much. He notes he was more confident when Oliveira was fighting Giga Chikadze.

"I'm still going to pick Venicious here. I think the pressure is going to be a big deal."

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jun 17, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Andre Fili

Cody picks Andre Fili as a dog, citing his reach advantage, veteran savvy, and improved wrestling. He believes Fili can implement a game plan of jabbing, matadoring, and scoring takedowns, exploiting Oliveira's wild, loopy punches and poor takedown defense. He notes Oliveira's first fight at featherweight and potential cardio issues.

"I got Andre Phy. I just It's not that Venicius Oliver can't possibly catch him. That's certainly on the table, but for like minus 260, I I need a little more than that."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jun 18, 2026 (2 days before fight)

Andre Fili

Connor picks Fili, noting that Oliveira's style of marching forward with his face exposed is a liability against a technical veteran like Fili. He points out Fili has a fantastic shot and underrated head kick, and can replicate what Mario Bautista did to Oliveira. Connor acknowledges Fili's inconsistency but believes he can suck Oliveira into mistakes.

Fili is the underdog at +225. Connor mentions the line is surprising.

"I got to pick. I got to take Feely."

MMA Vivisection

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Jun 15, 2026 (5 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Lucrative James picks Vinicius Oliveira to win, highlighting Oliveira's unpredictable striking, explosive power, and speed advantage moving up to featherweight. He notes that Andre Fili, while tricky and durable, gets dropped often and has a questionable chin. James predicts Oliveira will land a knockout, as Fili's reaction time may not handle Oliveira's unorthodox angles.

"I'm going to predict Venicius Olivea gets the win here. I'm going to predict him to get the win via KO as well."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jun 16, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Oliveira is a violent, aggressive striker who can finish. Fili struggles against aggressive fighters and is not a finishing threat. Oliveira should dictate the pace and land big shots, likely winning by knockout.

Oliveira by knockout

"I'm going to go Olivea by by knockout."

MMA Lock of the Night

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jun 17, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Oliveira will create chaos and find a finish over Fili within two rounds, as Fili doesn't react well to aggressive fighters like Oliveira.

finish within 2 rounds

"Look for Oliveira to create a lot of chaos and eventually find a finish here over Fili within two rounds."

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Jun 17, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Paul leans toward Oliveira, thinking he might clip Fili with a knockout, but is not confident. He notes Oliveira's power and size but acknowledges his recent submission loss and Fili's wrestling improvements. He seems to prefer Fili as a value play but doesn't fully commit.

"my heart is saying that Vince Olivea probably clips him gets a knockout here gets back on track and that Fely's chin kind of gets exposed here"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 20, 2026 (fight day)

Andre Fili

The MMA Guru picks Andre Fili to win, possibly by decision or knockout. He believes Fili is better everywhere technically, with superior stand-up, wrestling, and conditioning. He notes Oliveira relies on early KO and will fade, while Fili has experience at higher weight and a good chin. He thinks Fili can counter Oliveira's wild offense and mix in takedowns.

good dog this week to target

"Andre Fili is a good dog this week to target in my opinion."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jun 18, 2026 (2 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Zane picks Oliveira because he is much more used to facing adversity and can walk through Fili's shots. He notes Fili has a tendency to leave himself open when countering and can be caught. Zane acknowledges Fili has a clean path to win but doubts he'll stick to it. He also mentions Oliveira's power and durability as key factors.

Oliveira opened at -350, now -265. Zane is surprised by the line, saying he'd be happy with dead even odds.

"I'm going to pick Vinicius Olivera. Oh, pick that mistake."

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Mario Bautista

Submission R2 4:46 · UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira · Feb 07, 2026

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Mario Bautista	0	15 of 27	55%	49 of 63	5 of 7	71%	1	0	5:47
Vinicius Oliveira	0	12 of 21	57%	18 of 27	0 of 1	0%	0	0	1:39

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Mario Bautista	3 of 9	33%	22 of 29	1 of 2	50%	0	2:18
1	Vinicius Oliveira	6 of 8	75%	8 of 10	0 of 0	---	0	1:39
2	Mario Bautista	12 of 18	66%	27 of 34	4 of 5	80%	1	3:29
2	Vinicius Oliveira	6 of 13	46%	10 of 17	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Mario Bautista	15 of 27	55%	10 of 20	5 of 6	0 of 1	6 of 12	0 of 2	9 of 13
Vinicius Oliveira	12 of 21	57%	3 of 10	3 of 5	6 of 6	9 of 18	3 of 3	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Mario Bautista	3 of 9	33%	1 of 7	2 of 2	0 of 0	1 of 4	0 of 0	2 of 5
1	Vinicius Oliveira	6 of 8	75%	0 of 1	3 of 4	3 of 3	4 of 6	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Mario Bautista	12 of 18	66%	9 of 13	3 of 4	0 of 1	5 of 8	0 of 2	7 of 8
2	Vinicius Oliveira	6 of 13	46%	3 of 9	0 of 1	3 of 3	5 of 12	1 of 1	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bautista (-185); Oliveira (+155)

Round 1
All eyes are on this bantamweight main attraction, with the UFC’s No. 9 Bautista (16-3, 10-3 UFC) putting his superior number on the line against the surging 11th-ranked Oliveira (23-3, 4-0 UFC). Whether a top-10 fighter is cemented or elevated, referee Herb Dean is on top of everything. He brings them together to the center of the cage, where the fighters calmly touch gloves.
Oliveira starts off with a front kick up the middle, only to be met with a body kick flying back. Oliveira chops at the front leg, working the calf a few times and dropping his hands to motion to someone outside the cage. Bautista swings and misses, allowing Oliveira to grab hold of him and clinch. Oh no. Here we go again. Oliveira presses heavily on the MMA Lab representative, thwarting Bautista’s initial escape attempts. Bautista manages to free himself from the grasp, but Oliveira is quick to re-engage with an attempt. They fall to the floor during a grappling exchange, and Oliveira is quicker on his feet and isolates Bautista’s right leg for a single. Bautista keeps his balance and slaps Oliveira upside the head a few times, and they spin around one another as Bautista follows through to drag the fight down and establish top control.
Oliveira hits his back and hunts for a leglock, and Bautista defends by twisting all the way around and climbing into half guard. The action slows to a crawl as Bautista smothers on top, with Oliveira locking him down with his arms hooked around his foe’s. When Bautista tries to posture up, Oliveira kicks him off. Bautista just misses with a leaping right hand, and he has an axe kick blocked. Bautista tries to move himself back into the guard, and Oliveira’s upkicks keep him honest. Bautista manages to score with a few punches to the body, but otherwise he stays out of harm until the buzzer.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 2
Bautista starts the round aggressively, taking the fight to the ground early. Oliveira climbs back up thanks in part to snagging his fingers in the fence, and he is admonished for it and hurled back down to the mat by the American. A mat return soon follows when Oliveira scoots upright. Bautista cannot keep him down, and when he backs off to find an angle back in, he walks into a left hand but still scores a right. Oliveira appears lackadaisical and sloppy, his hands by his waist as he prepares to defend another takedown shot. Oliveira lunges behind an inaccurate right, and Bautista corners him against the cage and goes to take him down.
Oliveira manages to get him down instead by catching a kick, only for Bautista to reverse him and wind up in the position the ended the previous round. The Brazilian’s upkicks are less hostile than before, so Bautista is able to get into his guard and transition fairly quickly to half guard. Oliveira still slowly manages to frame off the chest, recovering back to the full guard and closing it. Bautista opens it up with a few elbows, slashing them down and pushing through to half guard, the side and eventually a crucifix. Bautista jams down a number of elbows and thumping punches, and he switches things up with a sudden, unexpected kimura.
He cranks that submission in order to brilliantly take the back of his adversary, and he slips both hooks in and wraps up a rear-naked choke in the blink of an eye. The fight went from zero to 60 in a hurry, and Oliveira is in big, big trouble. After barely a second or two, Oliveira realizes his goose is cooked and frantically taps out before he goes out.
Just like that, Bautista has notched his first stoppage since 2023 and rebounds from a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov in a huge way. The victor lauds coach John Crouch for his grappling and jitz training to be able to pull off that thrilling grappling sequence that is best shown in slow-motion. The MMA Lab rep calls for a rematch with Cory Sandhagen when on the microphone, and that is one worth watching that could easily headline a Fight Night card. If that transpires, sign us up. Also, Sherdog will be in the building at UFC Houston in two weeks, so be sure to tune into our extra live coverage throughout the week. We will be there for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result
Mario Bautista def. Vinicius Oliveira R2 4:46 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 1, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Angelo picks Mario Bautista, believing he is the better technical fighter with cleaner striking and better wrestling. He acknowledges Vinicius Oliveira's insane pace but thinks Bautista can match it and fight for 25 minutes. He notes that Bautista's last fight against Umar Nurmagomedov was close and impressive, and he expects Bautista to go dog for dog with Oliveira and come out on top.

"Mario Batista is going to be the pick. I think Mario can go dog for dog with Venicious and he's the better fighter."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 1, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Big Brady picks Mario Bautista, citing his superior grappling and cardio. He notes that Vinicius Oliveira has shown vulnerability on the ground, as seen in his fight against Bernardo Sopai. Bautista hasn't used his grappling recently due to tough opponents, but Brady expects him to take Oliveira down and submit him in the third round.

by third round submission

"I'm going to take Mario Batista to win this fight. I'm going to say he wins this fight by third round submission."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Feb 4, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Cody picks Vinicius Oliveira as an underdog, comparing him to Carlos Prates and Alex Pereira for his pressure and power. He argues Oliveira's constant forward pressure and size will overwhelm Bautista, who lacks one-shot power. Cody believes Oliveira's momentum and damage output will sway judges, especially in the Apex where damage is prioritized.

"I think I'm going to go the opposite end on Venicius Olivera... this guy's about as big as 135 pounds as you're possibly going to get."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Feb 5, 2026 (2 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Connor agrees with Zane, citing Bautista's technical lockdown and ability to handle pressure. He compares Oliveira to Dricus du Plessis in terms of being a 'vibes fighter' who can overwhelm opponents, but believes Bautista's scrambling and experience against elite pressure (like Aldo) give him the edge. He notes Oliveira's tendency to get tired and be hittable.

Same odds discussion as Zane.

"I still have to lean in the direction of Batista as well."

MMA Vivisection

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Feb 1, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Lucrative James picks Mario Bautista to win inside the distance, likely by submission in the championship rounds. He emphasizes Bautista's superior cardio and pace, especially in a five-round fight, and notes that Oliveira has been finished in all his losses. James believes Oliveira will gas out in rounds 4-5, allowing Bautista to take over and secure a finish.

under 4.5 rounds, Mario Bautista wins in round 4 or 5

"My prediction will be Mario Batista to get this one done in the championship rounds inside the distance, probably submission for the first time in Venicious Olivivera's career."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 3, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

The host picks Bautista inside the distance, likely in round 4. He believes Bautista's fight IQ, cardio, and game planning will allow him to contain Oliveira's reckless aggression and take over as Oliveira gasses. He notes Bautista can match Oliveira's violence and has a cardio edge, and expects him to find a finish in the later rounds.

inside the distance

"So, give me Maru Bautista inside the distance."

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 4, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Paul picks Mario Bautista, citing concerns about Oliveira's gas tank in a five-round fight. He notes Bautista's durability and ability to control the cage, similar to his fight against Jose Aldo. Paul expects Bautista to stick to a game plan and potentially win by decision, suggesting live betting on Bautista in later rounds.

over 2.5 rounds, fight goes the distance

"My concerns for Olive Vera here, obviously he's had quite the run... I do have concerns about his gas tank in a five round fight."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 7, 2026 (fight day)

Mario Bautista

The host picks Mario Bautista over Vinicius Oliveira. He thinks Oliveira is a size bully with sloppy technique, and Bautista is equally big but technically superior. He notes Bautista's pace and pressure, and his performance against Ricky Simon was more impressive than Oliveira's. He predicts a 4-1 decision win for Bautista.

decision 4 rounds to 1

"I think he'll win a decision, five four rounds to one. A four rounds to one decision win for Mario Bautista."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Feb 5, 2026 (2 days before fight)

Mario Bautista

Zane leans toward Bautista because of his proven ability to handle pressure fighters, as seen in his win over Jose Aldo. He notes that Oliveira is dangerous but reckless, often getting hurt in fights, and Bautista's scrambling and timing should allow him to capitalize. However, he acknowledges Oliveira's physicality and durability could make it a war.

Bautista opened at -140, currently -160; Oliveira opened at +120, currently +140. Zane thinks the line is fair and could go to -200.

"I still have to lean in the direction of Batista as well."

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Kyler Phillips

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 · Jul 19, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Kyler Phillips	0	49 of 151	32%	54 of 156	0 of 5	0%	0	0	0:09
Vinicius Oliveira	1	96 of 232	41%	102 of 238	1 of 4	25%	0	0	2:20

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Kyler Phillips	0	29 of 67	43%	29 of 67	0 of 1	0%	0:00
1	Vinicius Oliveira	0	22 of 69	31%	22 of 69	0 of 1	0%	0:03
2	Kyler Phillips	0	4 of 26	15%	9 of 31	0 of 3	0%	0:09
2	Vinicius Oliveira	1	41 of 81	50%	47 of 87	1 of 2	50%	2:17
3	Kyler Phillips	0	16 of 58	27%	16 of 58	0 of 1	0%	0:00
3	Vinicius Oliveira	0	33 of 82	40%	33 of 82	0 of 1	0%	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Kyler Phillips	49 of 151	32%	33 of 126	13 of 22	3 of 3	49 of 151	0 of 0	0 of 0
Vinicius Oliveira	96 of 232	41%	52 of 161	26 of 50	18 of 21	79 of 207	5 of 7	12 of 18

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Kyler Phillips	29 of 67	43%	18 of 52	8 of 12	3 of 3	29 of 67	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Vinicius Oliveira	22 of 69	31%	12 of 47	5 of 15	5 of 7	22 of 69	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Kyler Phillips	4 of 26	15%	2 of 22	2 of 4	0 of 0	4 of 26	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Vinicius Oliveira	41 of 81	50%	27 of 65	9 of 11	5 of 5	27 of 60	2 of 3	12 of 18
3	Kyler Phillips	16 of 58	27%	13 of 52	3 of 6	0 of 0	16 of 58	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Vinicius Oliveira	33 of 82	40%	13 of 49	12 of 24	8 of 9	30 of 78	3 of 4	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Oliveira (-175), Phillips (+145)

Round 1
Wrapping up the unpaid portion of the event, two speedy bantamweights collide. While they are both ranked in the UFC’s top 15 at 135 pounds, the losing party may fall off on Monday or Tuesday. Phillips (12-3, 6-2 UFC) needs to get back in the win column, but to do so he has to outhustle heavy-handed Brazilian “LokDog” Oliveira (22-3, 3-0 UFC). The two will be joined in the Octagon by referee Chris Hill, and they opt against touching gloves while he watches on.
Oliveira says hello with a head kick rather than bumping gloves, and this fires up Phillips. Phillips strikes back with his own high kick and flurry of punches, hurting the Brazilian and keeping his defenses ready to stop the incoming takedown. Phillips hurts “LokDog” with another right hand, springing round side to side and pecking his foe with sharp jab and a body shot. Oliveira whiffs on a big left hook, and Phillips fires off a wheel kick that is too high and misses the target. Phillips’ right hands stagger Oliveira twice, and Oliveira has to shake it off but has his hands low. Oliveira walks Phillips down, absorbing single targeted strikes while not connecting on much power. “LokDog” gets off a front kick, and he takes a right hand on the temple. When Phillips misses on a punch, Oliveira tries to chase him down, but “The Matrix” is elusive as ever.
Oliveira drives a front kick that sounds like it ricocheted off the cup, but Phillips does not express concern and shoots in for a takedown. Oliveira staves it off and absorbs a few kicks to the midsection. Phillips is on his bouncing bike, avoiding the worst of the Brazilian’s right hands while not letting the kicks reach him either. Phillips goes toto the body and head, and Oliveira lines up a kick to the ribs. Phillips slips punches, lands his own and drives a knee to the chin that stuns Oliveira for a second. Oliveira shrugs and goes back to chasing Phillips with his hands low. Oliveira tosses out kicks from both legs, and he lowers himself down to hurl bungalows. Phillips takes the power cleanly and tries to keep him at bay with kicks, but Oliveira is starting to time and catch them. Oliveira kicks low, and Phillips jumps over it and springs away from a spinning back kick. Phillips scores a knee and falls over, and he gets back up and finds Oliveira chasing him with attacks. Phillips defends with his back to the wall as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Phillips starts off the round with is own head kick to mirror what Oliveira did in the previous round, and he gets away from the wild kicks of his opponent that are feet away from his intended target. The elusive Phillips stays light on his heels, only for Oliveira to wind up a right hand that sends him flying. “The Matrix” gets back up, takes another huge right hand and then turns away and gets kicked in the face. Oliveira continues to bombard Phillips with attacks, bowling him over and finding himself lording over Phillips with standing-to-ground punches. Oliveira lowers himself in the guard, and he positions himself flat on his adversary. Oliveira briefly flirts with an arm-triangle choke until sitting up to adjust his position, and Phillips kicks him off in the chest and stands back up. Oliveira tries to hold him down or wrap up a sub, but Phillips is free and out of danger.
Oliveira tries to bring back the danger, clubbing Phillips with looping punches including a left hand that stings Phillips again. Phillips works his way back to his feet, and Oliveira stands in front of him, hands down, taking deep breaths. The Brazilian explodes back into his offense, tagging Phillips with punches that “The Matrix” would have evaded previously. He ducks a spinning wheel kick and tags Phillips with three punches down the forward bow. Oliveira kicks low and swings high, and when Phillips hits him back, he does not budge. “LokDog” tries to catch the kick, chest heaving, and he fights off a takedown and trips Philips up to put him on his back. Oliveira is pushed off when landing some ground strikes, but he hurls himself back into top position. The round ends with Oliveira riding out this position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Oliveira motions to the crowd to pump them up, and bows at his opponent. They resume with five minutes left to battle it out, and Oliveira starts by walking Phillips down. Phillips remains on his bike, kicking and probing with single strikes while trying to avoid the booming blows aimed at his face. Oliveira dodges a wheel kick and plods forward, slamming his shin on Phillips’ calf and drawing a short limp from him. Phillips keeps moving while Oliveira is going after him, with his head kick blocked before Oliveira gets to him and belts him in the face with three punches. “LokDog” hammers the front leg again, takes a body shot and misses on his counters. They both let go with big right hands, and Oliveira’s calf kick does further damage. Oliveira misses on a few punches and a high kick, while Phillips is jabbing aplenty. Phillips scores a body kick, and Oliveira punches him in the chest back. Once more, the Brazilian attacks the front leg, and movement from Phillips is starting to dwindle.
As Phillips tries to push his way forward, Oliveira drills him with a close-range spinning back kick to the chest. Oliveira races forward behind looping hooks, and his spinning wheel kick misses the mark. Phillips kicks him in the face, and Oliveira still keeps his hands down and shrugs off anything that catches him. Oliveira tries to connect with three big punches, and he ducks down and shoulder-checks his adversary. Phillips tries to back him off with hooks, and Oliveira ducks, moves and kicks him. The Brazilian dodges, weaves, connects and shoots for a takedown. Phillips shuts the latter down but eats a hard kick on the way out. Oliveira nods when he gets elbowed in the face, because he has a plan: punch Phillips in the face. The plan succeeds. Again and again. Phillips keeps backpedaling but is featuring his jab more than usual, and he mixes in a few side kicks to not let “LokDog” get to him. Oliveira bull-rushes him with punches, tackles Phillips to the mat and is bounced back to his feet. He proceeds to chase Phillips around the cage until time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira, calling him a dog who has beaten better competition than Kyler Phillips. He notes Oliveira's aggression, power, and takedown defense. He is surprised by the -180 line and considers it a gift, suggesting it could be parlayed.

Says you could parlay him and get him at almost 2 to 1.

"Venicious Olivera is the pick. I honestly think you could parlay him and you're going to get him at almost 2 to1."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Jul 15, 2025 (4 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Big Brady hesitantly picks Vinicius Oliveira due to Kyler Phillips' poor cardio. He believes Phillips wins the first round dominantly but fades, allowing Oliveira to take over in later rounds. He predicts a split decision for Oliveira, though he dislikes the pick.

Live bet Oliveira if Phillips wins early; Oliveira by split decision

"I think I'm going to take Olive here. I really don't like the pick at all."

DFS by the Numbers

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jul 18, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Connor picks Vinicius Oliveira based on his relentless pressure, durability, and ability to bully opponents despite defensive flaws. He notes that Oliveira's aggressive style and strength make him difficult to wrestle, and Kyler Phillips tends to gas under pressure. Connor believes Oliveira's power and intimidation will overwhelm Phillips, who lacks knockout power and often fades late.

Odds: Oliveira opened -200, currently -148; Phillips opened +170, currently +128. Connor suggests the line shouldn't be much wider because Oliveira can be knocked out, but Phillips isn't a knockout puncher.

"I'm kind of feeling Vinicius Olivera just in a broad stylistic way."

MMA Vivisection

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 16, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

The host sees this as a perfect matchup for Oliveira to showcase dominance, citing his performances against Ricky Simon and Said Nurmagomedov. He expects Oliveira to shut down Phillips's grappling and striking and produce a round three knockout.

round three knockout

"I expect him to be able to shut down Phillips's grappling game and striking game and eventually pull away with this matchup in the second and third rounds producing a round three knockout."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 16, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

The MMA Guru picks Vinicius Oliveira over Kyler Phillips, predicting a third-round finish. He criticizes Phillips' inability to adjust and his tendency to fade in later rounds, as seen against Rob Font and Howie PA. Oliveira is praised for his pace, durability, and pressure, having schooled Ricky Simon and broken Said Nurmagomedov. The Guru believes Oliveira will break Phillips down and finish him, comparing the matchup to Oliveira's win over Nurmagomedov.

"I'm gonna go with Venicious Soliva."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jul 18, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Zane agrees with Connor, picking Oliveira due to his pressure and power. He notes that Oliveira's flat-footed style makes him hard to take down, and Phillips' tendency to gas under pressure is a key factor. Zane also mentions that Phillips is not a knockout puncher, which favors Oliveira.

Same odds commentary as Connor.

"I'm gonna take all of era here. Yeah, me too."

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Said Nurmagomedov

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov · Feb 01, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Said Nurmagomedov	0	38 of 79	48%	69 of 111	1 of 9	11%	0	0	0:58
Vinicius Oliveira	0	43 of 94	45%	68 of 125	3 of 5	60%	1	0	7:12

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Said Nurmagomedov	12 of 21	57%	28 of 37	1 of 1	100%	0	0:09
1	Vinicius Oliveira	3 of 14	21%	5 of 16	2 of 4	50%	0	2:44
2	Said Nurmagomedov	13 of 38	34%	21 of 46	0 of 5	0%	0	0:49
2	Vinicius Oliveira	21 of 45	46%	26 of 51	1 of 1	100%	0	0:54
3	Said Nurmagomedov	13 of 20	65%	20 of 28	0 of 3	0%	0	0:00
3	Vinicius Oliveira	19 of 35	54%	37 of 58	0 of 0	---	1	3:34

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Said Nurmagomedov	38 of 79	48%	18 of 54	13 of 17	7 of 8	37 of 76	1 of 3	0 of 0
Vinicius Oliveira	43 of 94	45%	24 of 63	11 of 18	8 of 13	31 of 74	2 of 5	10 of 15

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Said Nurmagomedov	12 of 21	57%	6 of 14	2 of 3	4 of 4	11 of 20	1 of 1	0 of 0
1	Vinicius Oliveira	3 of 14	21%	2 of 9	1 of 2	0 of 3	3 of 12	0 of 0	0 of 2
2	Said Nurmagomedov	13 of 38	34%	3 of 25	7 of 9	3 of 4	13 of 36	0 of 2	0 of 0
2	Vinicius Oliveira	21 of 45	46%	8 of 25	7 of 13	6 of 7	19 of 40	2 of 5	0 of 0
3	Said Nurmagomedov	13 of 20	65%	9 of 15	4 of 5	0 of 0	13 of 20	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Vinicius Oliveira	19 of 35	54%	14 of 29	3 of 3	2 of 3	9 of 22	0 of 0	10 of 13

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira

Round 1
They move the line forward in the 135-pound weight class, as Nurmagomedov (18-3, 7-2 UFC) and Oliveira (21-3, 2-0 UFC) meet in a pivotal bantamweight attraction. Hatley officiates. Oliveira steps forward, eats a leg kick and uncorks a left hook. Nurmagomedov stays light on his feet and sends a kick glancing off the Brazilian’s forehead. A spinning back kick to the body sends Oliveira to the canvas. He gets to his feet, only to absorb a stout low kick. Nurmagomedov threatens a guillotine in a scramble, then separates. Another powerful low leg kick from the Russian. Oliveira ducks a spinning backfist. Nurmagomedov briefly secures a takedown, but Oliveira gets back to his feet and drives forward in the clinch. Midway through the round. Oliveira scores with knees to the legs. Inadvertent eye poke from the Brazilian results in a pause. Hatley restarts it. Slapping head kick lands from Nurmagomedov. Chopping overhand right from Nurmagomedov misses and an accidental head butt knocks Oliveira off-balance. He gets back to his feet, eats a flying knee and manages to score a takedown. Oliveira navigates the guard and scores with ground-and-pound. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet. The round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nurmegomedov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 2
Oliveira steps forward, and they trade body kicks. Nurmagomedov throw a kick high, only to get blocked. Leg kick from the Russian, who ducks in, shoot on the hips and hunts a takedown. Oliveira denies his efforts. A clinch battle ensues. Knee up the middle on the break from Nurmagomedov. Oliveira presses the issue behind punches and executes a takedown. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet without much issues and gets his kicks in gear in the center of the cage. Right hand over the top from the Russian draws a thumbs up from Oliveira. Nurmagomedov complains about an eye poke, leaves his guard down and eats a few punches for his troubles. He circles behind Oliveira, resets and secures a brief takedown. Output an issue for Nurmagomedov, who appears to be tiring. Oliveira moves forward behind punches from both hands and lands a glancing uppercut, then misses on a wild spinning backfist. Weary punches from both men to end the frame.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Anyone’s fight with five minutes to go. Oliveira presses forward behind a body kick and punches. Nurmagomedov slips throwing a kick. Oliveira dives in top position and works in full guard. He scores with short punches. Nurmagomedov scrambles from underneath. Oliveira draws a warning for grabbing the cage and another for strikes to the back of the head. He powers into half guard and briefly achieves full mount. Nurmagomedov escapes and snatches a single-leg. Oliveira sprawls and circles, then locks in a brabo choke. He bails and throws elbows instead. Ninety seconds left. Oliveira connects with a knee to the body on the kneeling Nurmagomedov. The momentum has certainly shifted. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet but looks gassed. His movements are woefully labored. Oliveira doubles up on right hooks and connects with a side kick to the body. Nurmagomedov scores with a spinning backfist, but his opponent appears unmoved. Oliveira sprawls on a takedown attempt from the Russian and wheels behind him with 30 seconds remaining. Nurmagomedov clings to a single-leg but has neither the energy nor wherewithal to do anything with it.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov—Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 26, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira as an underdog, noting his length, durability, and creativity. He believes Oliveira's chaotic style and takedown defense (defended 9 takedowns against Ricky Simon) will trouble Said Nurmagomedov. He worries that Oliveira's recklessness could lead to a submission, but thinks his aggression and power will be enough.

"I'm picking venicius here I picked him a few weeks ago when he was a plus 225 underdog now he's a plus 145 Underdog"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jan 27, 2025 (5 days before fight)

Said Nurmagomedov

Big Brady is impressed with Said Nurmagomedov's striking and submission game. He thinks Vinicius Oliveira is hitable and has been finished in all his losses. Brady predicts Nurmagomedov will catch Oliveira with a spinning attack or submit him, possibly via a club-and-sub. He calls Nurmagomedov a finisher and expects a second-round submission.

second round submission

"I like nag medov here I'll say he wins by I'll say I'll say submission maybe like a club and sub for nag mov here I I'll say nagan mov second round sub"

DFS by the Numbers

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Said Nurmagomedov

Connor picks Nurmagomedov, believing his well-rounded game and wrestling will overcome Oliveira's wild aggression. He notes that Oliveira is a formless bully who cuts a lot of weight, but Nurmagomedov has the tools to neutralize him and find submissions. However, he acknowledges that Oliveira's chaotic style could make the fight uncomfortable and that Nurmagomedov has struggled with physical pressure in the past.

"I still think he's so good and so well-rounded. He should just have free opportunities to hit all of it. Yeah. And should be able to. And the wrestling. Get to yeah, take him down, get him in a position …"

MMA Vivisection

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

James picks Oliveira to win, citing Nurmagomedov's poor cardio and tendency to gas out, as seen in recent fights. He believes Oliveira's pressure, size, and strength will overwhelm Nurmagomedov in later rounds. He notes Nurmagomedov's submission threat (ninja choke) but thinks Oliveira can survive and win by decision or late knockout. He sees Oliveira's trajectory rising while Nurmagomedov's is declining.

Oliveira by decision is implied; mentions knockout upside.

"I'm going to side with Olivier on this one I really am I think Venus is going to win the fight"

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Oliveira's output and volume will cause Nurmagomedov trouble, as Nurmagomedov is more reliant on finishes. If he can't get Oliveira out of there early, he will struggle with the volume coming back. Oliveira is expected to win on the scorecards.

"I believe the output and volume of Oliveira will cause Nurmagomedov a lot of trouble... look for Oliveira to win this fight on the scorecards."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Jan 28, 2025 (4 days before fight)

Said Nurmagomedov

The MMA Guru picks Said Nurmagomedov in a close fight. He notes Oliveira is rangy and well-rounded, but Nurmagomedov has finishing potential and experience. He worries about Nurmagomedov's performance against Jonathan Martinez but believes he can win the first two rounds and edge a decision. He mentions Oliveira's short-notice loss to Bernardo Sopaj as a factor.

"I'll go say n medov over Venicia oliv you know... I'm G to go sayov over visha Oliva"

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Said Nurmagomedov

Zane picks Nurmagomedov, agreeing that his technical edge and wrestling should prevail. He notes that Oliveira's lack of defense and tendency to scramble hard will give Nurmagomedov opportunities. However, Zane warns that Oliveira's size and pace could cause problems, and that Nurmagomedov has a history of slowing down under physical pressure. He still sees Nurmagomedov as the rightful favorite.

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Ricky Simón

DEC R3 5:00 · UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 · Jun 29, 2024

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Ricky Simon vs. Vinicius Oliveira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-218), Oliveira (+180)

Round 1
At long last, UFC 303 is upon us, but not how many would have hoped. In the weeks prior to the event, the final three bouts on the lineup transformed dramatically. Before we get to those, there will be 10 other matchups pleasing fight fans throughout the billing, with some fascinating stylistic clashes and others that promise immediate violence. We start off in the bantamweight division, where perennial contender Simon (20-5, 8-4 UFC) looks to get back in the win column after a rare skid. He faces high-flying Brazilian Oliveira (20-3, 1-0 UFC), who has seen 19 of his 23 pro outings end by knockout, win or lose. Referee Mark Smith is on call for the first fight of the night, geared up for what could be something wild. There is no fist bump to get things going, perhaps in part to the fiery weigh-ins the night before. The two feint and fake at one another in the opening 20 seconds, and Oliveira lunges for a few strikes but misses the mark. Oliveira prods out a front kick to the midsection and skirts away, his hands low as he aims a low calf kick. Simon reaches him with two punches up top, and Oliveira slips away from the rest. The Brazilian misses the mark with a jumping front kick, but his leg kick that follows does connect. Simon rushes him to get off a few punches before evading the counter. Oliveira uses his front kick as a jab, and he follows one with a rifling one-two down the middle. Oliveira switches stances regularly, keeping Simon guessing and flicking out a sharp left and a heavy right. Simon keeps his guard up to defend the worst of the blows, and he slams a low kick on the rear shin before crashing the pocket to sling “Lok Dog” to the canvas. Oliveira jumps right back up and stabs out a right hand that gets Simon’s attention, and Simon tags him with a counter that makes Oliveira drop his hands and march forward like a Terminator. Oliveira lets Simon have it with a number of unanswered leg kicks, and he whiffs on a head kick. Simon gets off a right hand, and Oliveira jabs him back. Oliveira walks through jabs, taking one on the nose and shrugging his shoulders before loosing a head kick that pounds into the guard. Oliveira gets off another head kick that nails the guard, and Simon dips down and lands a body shot that skips off the cup. Oliveira signals to Smith that he is fine, and he gets back to a stalking mode where his hands are low and he is swinging hard. Simon rushes at him to tie him up, but Oliveira wants nothing to do with it. Simon times a right hand as Oliveira ducks, and Oliveira shakes it off and tosses out two kicks. Simon snaps the head back as a gob of saliva launches from the mouth of “Lok Dog,” and they trade hands until the horn sounds.
Advertisement

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 2
Oliveira marches out of his corner, shouting something at Simon to get started. Oliveira’s hands low, he engages in a brief slugfest, and a left hand from Simon smashes into his ear and breaks open the cauliflower, resulting in a trickle of blood streaming down his neck. Oliveira laughs off anything Simon throws at him and lobs back hooks, and the two end up in the clinch until “Lok Dog” wants to push off and swing hands. Simon shoots through the hips with a solid double-leg takedown entry, and he lands on top comfortably. Oliveira keeps moving, and he scrambles back to his feet without issue. Simon ducks a punch and lifts Oliveira off the ground to slam him down to a knee, and when Oliveira tries to recover, Simon looks to take his back standing. Simon lets loose with a sharp elbow from a close proximity, and Oliveira pushes off and takes a deep breath. The punches from the Brazilian are labored less than two minutes into the second round, although his leg kicks do keep landing. Oliveira is frustrated about a warning to close his fingers, and he snaps out a jab that draws a frown from the Washington native. Simon looks for his own jab, all while trying to meander around the unorthodox looping punches from “Lok Dog.” Oliveira goes all power, and Simon blocks the strikes and drives him back with a few straight punches and a body shot. Simon attempts a takedown, and Oliveira stonewalls him and pursues a spinning wheel kick that Simon evades. Oliveira chains several strikes together including a few leg kicks, and he stumbles and returns to his feet to keep attacking. A few punches from Oliveira get through to shake up Simon, who escapes out the side and whips a head kick at the Brazilian’s melon. Oliveira takes it without issue and swings back with bad intentions, and he defends a takedown shot and uses rangy strikes to get to Simon. As Oliveira lazily tosses out calf kicks, Simon checks a few, and Oliveira staggers back, compromised from the defense. Simon rushes at him, letting his hands go. The two trade leather until the bell rings, and Simon barks at his opponent. Oliveira does not know what to do when hearing this, and he punches Simon in the face well after the round ended. Smith drags him to the corner while shouting at him, and cooler heads prevail to get to the third round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Physicians come in to assess the damage of Oliveira’s leg, and he is cleared to continue. Oliveira rushes out of his corner once more, but this time, Simon meets him in the middle to trade with him. Simon ducks the punch and lets go with a kick, and he engages in a back-and-forth session of strikes with him coming out slightly better. Simon pushes Oliveira back, and he checks a kick as Oliveira shakes his head uncomfortably. Simon leads off with punches, and Oliveira pushes off and a finger jabs into Simon’s eye. Oliveira shakes his finger as if to say it was from a punch, and Smith does not call anything. Simon fails on one takedown attempt, and his second is much deeper but he is spun around on the fence. Oliveira breaks free and jabs out with a front kick, circling to the left and switching stances regularly. Oliveira sticks out several jabs in an effort to launch a big right hand to follow, and he jabs the body and starts showboating and raising his hands to signal for Simon to fight him. Oliveira blocks a head kick and gives him one back, and he motions to Simon that his was much more effective. Oliveira walks Simon down, backing off only to block the offense his way, and he loops a left hand over the top. When Oliveira lets go with two punches, Simon shoots in for a double, and “Lok Dog” shuts it down and strings a number of punches and a kick together. Simon cannot reach his man, and Oliveira tags him back and raises his arms in the air to celebrate. Oliveira lands a few shots and looks over to his corner in a Max Holloway-esque display, and he decides to change things up and take Simon down. Oliveira backs off to stand back up, and he uses several unusual strikes including a kick behind his other leg to mess with Simon. Oliveira lands a head kick right at the bell, and the two stop fighting and hug it out to squash any beef that may have developed between them.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

WIN vs Benardo Sopaj

KO (flying knee) R3 4:41 · UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev · Mar 02, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Vinicius Oliveira	1	67 of 144	46%	88 of 170	2 of 4	50%	0	0	1:37
Benardo Sopaj	0	45 of 86	52%	92 of 146	3 of 4	75%	0	0	4:28

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Vinicius Oliveira	0	7 of 31	22%	9 of 34	0 of 0	---	0:00
1	Benardo Sopaj	0	14 of 26	53%	33 of 48	2 of 2	100%	1:45
2	Vinicius Oliveira	0	17 of 31	54%	36 of 54	2 of 3	66%	1:36
2	Benardo Sopaj	0	18 of 24	75%	46 of 62	1 of 2	50%	2:43
3	Vinicius Oliveira	1	43 of 82	52%	43 of 82	0 of 1	0%	0:01
3	Benardo Sopaj	0	13 of 36	36%	13 of 36	0 of 0	---	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Vinicius Oliveira	67 of 144	46%	39 of 91	11 of 20	17 of 33	49 of 112	3 of 13	15 of 19
Benardo Sopaj	45 of 86	52%	42 of 81	1 of 3	2 of 2	21 of 55	0 of 2	24 of 29

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Vinicius Oliveira	7 of 31	22%	1 of 12	2 of 5	4 of 14	7 of 29	0 of 2	0 of 0
1	Benardo Sopaj	14 of 26	53%	12 of 22	0 of 2	2 of 2	6 of 17	0 of 0	8 of 9
2	Vinicius Oliveira	17 of 31	54%	14 of 25	3 of 5	0 of 1	0 of 5	2 of 7	15 of 19
2	Benardo Sopaj	18 of 24	75%	17 of 23	1 of 1	0 of 0	2 of 3	0 of 1	16 of 20
3	Vinicius Oliveira	43 of 82	52%	24 of 54	6 of 10	13 of 18	42 of 78	1 of 4	0 of 0
3	Benardo Sopaj	13 of 36	36%	13 of 36	0 of 0	0 of 0	13 of 35	0 of 1	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopai
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: N/A

Round 1
It’s back-to-back 135-pound contests of Zahabi-Basharat and now Oliveira (19-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sopai (11-2, 0-0 UFC), with this pairing between UFC debutants. Both fighters do not like to involve the judges often, with “Lok Dog” posting a finish rate of 89%, and Albania’s Sopai countering with 91%. While the final bell might not play a factor, referee Keith Peterson almost certainly will before it is all said and done. Ahead of the action, there is a no-nonsense fist bump to commence this short-notice contest. Oliveira introduces himself with a rangy body kick, and he stalks forward with a sweeping leg kick. Sopai replies with a high kick that whizzes past his foe’s head, and Oliveira kicks him on the calf two more times. Oliveira aims a side kick to the knee, and keeps is guard up to defend from another head kick. The two crash together, and their excitement causes them to flail madly and miss wide on both sides. Oliveira goes to chase after his opponent, and Sopai chops him down with an inside low kick. Oliveira winds up with a power punch, and Sopai gets him back with another kick. Oliveira spins his man around with a leg kick, and Sopai tries and fails to wing a right hand when he spins about. Oliveira chips away with his calf kicks, keeping a safe range from the lunging Sopai. Oliveira spins for a wheel kick, and Sopai intercepts him and tackles him to the canvas. Sopai jumps to side control, and Oliveira counters with a heel hook attempt. Sopai lowers himself down to thwart the submission setup, and he settles down inside of the Brazilian’s guard. Oliveira throws up an armbar to threaten from his back, and Sopai backs off and lets them stand back up. Sopai chases after the Brazilian and lays into him with a huge right hand, and Oliveira responds with a head kick and a hard right hand to follow. Sopai winds up on power punches, blocks a head kick and scoots back to dodge a leg kick. Oliveira aims a kick that slaps into the guard, and Sopai chops his lead leg with a kick before charging to land a takedown. Sopai lands in full mount, but Oliveira bucks him back to the guard. Oliveira hacks with elbows from his back and kicks Sopai off of him, but Sopai lowers himself and smacks Oliveira in the face several times until the horn stops the round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2
The bantamweights clap hands to re-engage, and Oliveira starts off with a leg kick. Sopai aggressively hunts for a takedown, and when Oliveira counters with a trip, Sopai is able to bowl his man over and set him down. Oliveira turns to his side and then gives up his back, and Sopai wraps a hook around the waist and starts slamming the Brazilian in the side of the head with right hands. Sopai clobbers his fading opponent with punches and occasional elbows, and Peterson looks closely at the undefended strikes adding up. Oliveira keeps turning, and he gets flattened out briefly as Sopai hammers him with ground-and-pound. Sopai allows Oliveira to turn all the way around and follows him every step of the way, claiming Oliveira’s back once more and slamming down fierce right hands. Sopai sits up and rides Oliveira’s back like a professional bull rider, and he beats on Oliveira with several more right hands. Oliveira stands up with Sopai still on his back, and Sopai threatens with a rear-naked choke when he sees the opening. Oliveira grabs hold of one arm and slings Sopai over, and he chucks Sopai on his back. Oliveira unleashes a fury of power strikes, hurting Sopai and stepping into a partial mount until Sopai muscles his way back to his feet. Oliveira wrenches him away from the wall and climbs into top position with about a minute to go, and he drives down standing-to-ground punches and elbows that do some serious damage. Oliveira flattens himself down to grab hold of an arm-triangle choke, and he drives down punches and elbows until Sopai kicks him off. Sopai stands back up and walks into a head kick, and Oliveira races after him throwing hands. Sopai retaliates with a big punch, and he gets blasted with a head kick as he turns away before the round ends. When the round does conclude, Sopai puts his hands on his waist, and he appears totally exhausted.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
The fighters touch ‘em up to start the last round, and Oliveira walks Sopai down. When Sopai misses with a punch, Oliveira flails with several punches and a leg kick that does connect. Oliveira’s wild offense largely misses, and Sopai appears to still be catching his wind, as he only offers an occasional single strike. Oliveira charges forward with a right hand, and Sopai’s legs are barely beneath him as he partially absorbs a high kick. Oliveira drills him with two right hooks in rapid succession, and Sopai takes a sharp exhale in response. Oliveira meanders forward, no concern for his physical well-being, and he throws everything he has into every one of his strikes. Sopai allows most of them to soar past him, but the ones that do connect hurt him. Oliveira lands a few leg kicks as well, and he turns away to his corner and then lances Sopai with a few straight punches. Sopai is sucking wind as he tries to give something back, but Oliveira’s offense forces him to backpedal constantly. Oliveira winds up with a fierce right hand, and Sopai staggers back to the wall. Oliveira follows it with a leg kick, and he dings Sopai with another right. Oliveira loads up on power right hands and sweeping leg kicks, and Sopai is displaying his toughness but is getting knocked around the cage. Oliviera lands yet another big right hand, and Sopai bounces off the cage wall and offers back a single jab. Oliveira shoots down for a takedown, and when that fails, he swings inaccurately. Sopai reaches him with a swiping left hook, and Oliveira chops at his leg and belts him with a left hand that sends Sopai staggering back. Sopai turns away, his hands down, and the Brazilian sees his opening.
Oliveira sprints at his opponent, leaping in the air with and colliding in Sopai’s chin with about as clean of a flying knee as anyone will ever see. Sopai collapses lifelessly to the mat like a puppet whose strings have been cut, and Oliveira strides off, knowing there is nothing more he needs to do today but sign the check for his post-fight bonus.
Chalk this up as an immediate “Knockout of the Year” frontrunner, with the brutal flying knee to conclude the thrilling battle. Thankfully, Sopai eventually regains his senses, but he needs to be carried out of the Octagon from all the damage he sustained after nearly 15 minutes of ridiculous action and violence.

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Bernardo Sopai R3 4:41 via KO (Flying Knee)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 25, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Angelo picks Vinicius Oliveira, expecting him to bring forward pressure and aggression. He notes that Oliveira is sloppy but dangerous, while Benardo Sopaj is a patient, boring striker. He thinks Oliveira will win and the fight will not go the distance.

Fight does not go the distance

"olivea should win this fight but he is hitable he is wide open so Yannis could sneak something out with the superior technique I'm going olivea though I think this fight does not go the distance"

We Want Picks

Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Feb 28, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Cody picks Oliveira but is hesitant, noting the fight was just announced. He mentions Oliveira's solid wins and finishing ability, but also his questionable durability. He notes Sopaj is undersized and on short notice. Cody says he would have bet Oliveira at -150 but now at even money it's more appealing, though he needs to see weigh-ins.

Bookie Beatdown

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Hesitant picked Feb 28, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Vinicius Oliveira

Paul tentatively picks Oliveira, noting he has no strong opinion due to the fight being added late. He mentions Oliveira's size advantage and leg kicks as key factors. He acknowledges Sopaj is a young prospect but undersized. Paul says he needs to do more research and let the line settle before feeling confident.

"I'm going to go with Venus for the time being... do I feel great about it no do I want to tape study this thing for a lot longer than than I probably have yeah sure"

Bookie Beatdown

Ricky Simón - Fight History

Draw vs Adrian Yañez

Draw R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer · Mar 28, 2026

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Ricky Simón	0	44 of 139	31%	52 of 149	2 of 5	40%	0	0	2:06
Adrian Yañez	1	71 of 169	42%	73 of 171	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:06

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Ricky Simón	0	12 of 55	21%	12 of 55	0 of 1	0%	0:00
1	Adrian Yañez	0	16 of 46	34%	16 of 46	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Ricky Simón	0	15 of 35	42%	23 of 45	2 of 3	66%	2:06
2	Adrian Yañez	0	15 of 29	51%	16 of 30	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Ricky Simón	0	17 of 49	34%	17 of 49	0 of 1	0%	0:00
3	Adrian Yañez	1	40 of 94	42%	41 of 95	0 of 0	---	0:06

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Ricky Simón	44 of 139	31%	33 of 121	7 of 13	4 of 5	38 of 132	2 of 2	4 of 5
Adrian Yañez	71 of 169	42%	63 of 159	6 of 8	2 of 2	67 of 156	0 of 0	4 of 13

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Ricky Simón	12 of 55	21%	9 of 48	1 of 4	2 of 3	12 of 55	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Adrian Yañez	16 of 46	34%	15 of 45	1 of 1	0 of 0	16 of 46	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Ricky Simón	15 of 35	42%	13 of 31	1 of 3	1 of 1	9 of 28	2 of 2	4 of 5
2	Adrian Yañez	15 of 29	51%	13 of 26	2 of 3	0 of 0	15 of 29	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Ricky Simón	17 of 49	34%	11 of 42	5 of 6	1 of 1	17 of 49	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Adrian Yañez	40 of 94	42%	35 of 88	3 of 4	2 of 2	36 of 81	0 of 0	4 of 13

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-145); Yanez (+120)

Round 1
It has been somewhat rough sledding for these two bantamweights on deck, as they have combined for three victories across their last eight appearances. Simon (22-7, 10-6 UFC) has fared the slightly better of the two, winner of two of his last three but coming off a decision defeat to the resurgent Raoni Barcelos. Texas-based foe Yanez (17-6, 6-3 UFC) has only gotten his hand raised once in his last four encounters, and this will his first walk to the cage since the end of 2024. Referee Blake Grice draws the charge for this second matchup of the evening, stepping back as the athletes rush towards one another without a glove touch in sight.
They peel back right before engaging, with Simon ducking and dipping to throw Yanez off his game early. Yanez lands a low kick first, and he defends against the overhand right coming back at him. Simon digs a kick to the stomach, and he is chased back by the Texan’s punches. Simon inches his way forward, stutter-stepping and using awkward movement. Yanez’ boxing is crisp so far, as he catches Simon with a slick uppercut and a few more punches before Simon can get his bearings. Simon flicks out a jab, attacks a low kick and fakes a takedown. Yanez is well out of the way before anything comes together, and he has his guard up to defend a head kick flying at him. Yanez doubles up on a jab, and he tosses Simon out of the way when Simon closes in to grapple.
Simon whiffs with a head kick and a spinning back fist, with Yanez pecking at him with his jab to fluster him just enough. Yanez goes upstairs with three punches, and he shoulder-rolls the return fire. Yanez stands tall with a hard right hand that catches Simon flush, and Simon has to blink it out before plodding forward again. They fire off jabs at one another, and Simon rushes forward with a knee but Yanez dodges it and wags his finger. Both fighters go with double jabs, and Yanez rings him up with a right hand over the top. He ducks down into a head kick to take some of the oomph out of it, blocking it and surging forward with two lunging punches. The two trade fierce hands, with Simon surprising his opponent with a hard right hand that makes Yanez backpedal. Simon times a solid uppercut, ending the round swinging for the bleachers.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yanez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Yanez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Yanez

Round 2
The bantamweights hurry towards one another to start off the round, where they quickly trade hands to reintroduce themselves to one another. Simon splits the guard with a front kick, and Yanez parries the punches that come after it. Yanez cannot get out of the way of a right hand, so he stands firm and slings back a heavy right. Moving just enough to dodge the worst of what is aimed at him, Yanez lets his hands go and catches Simon cleanly. Simon tanks them all and switches stances to author up a high kick, and it skims the shoulder. Simon sets up and bull-rushes his way forward to complete a takedown, putting the Texan flat on his back with Yanez closing his guard. Simon drives down two hard elbows to make Yanez think twice about keeping him in the guard, so Yanez scrambles wildly to get back to his feet and lean against the cage. Simon wraps his arms around Yanez’ waist, and he knees Yanez in the face as Yanez’ fingers are hooked in the fence. Simon lifts Yanez’ leg up to dump him to the mat, and Yanez appears discouraged.
Simon jams him to the body with a knee, and Yanez hurries his way back upright. Simon keeps kneeing when he finds a modicum of space, and he switches up to uppercut Yanez several times with his left hand. Simon sells out for a takedown, dropping down to his knees in a high-intensity effort. Yanez maintains his balance thanks in part to the cage behind him, but it wavers a bit when Simon tags him with a mean elbow on the break. Yanez backs away to reestablish his jab, and he doubles up on it to catch Simon with a right hand. Yanez mixes his jab up to aim to the body a few times, and he clubs Simon on the sides of the dome with his fists. Simon returns fire with a head kick that is blocked, and he leaps forward with a knee only to be met with a powerful right hand that freezes him. Yanez counters a lazy right hand with a speedy one-two, and he takes a power jab that backs him off. Simon fakes for a takedown, and the close round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yanez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Yanez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Yanez

Round 3
Yanez races out of his corner, fired up by coach Sayif Saud, and he quickly puts hands on his opponent. Yanez goes to the lead leg with a kick that opens up two punches up top, with his speed the difference-maker. The Texan connects with a powerful right hand down the middle, and he strings two more behind it while Simon is thinking about the previous blow. Simon throws back, but the volume is slowly shifting in favor of Yanez. While he lands a pair of punches, Simon blasts his foe in the cheek with a huge left hand. Yanez is stunned but still has the wherewithal to fire back, busting open a cut on the corner of Simon’s left eye that starts pouring blood. Simon wipes his eye a few times after taking jabs to the wound, with the crimson mask turning into a bullseye that Yanez targets with impunity.
Simon loads up on power, catching Yanez again but not stopping him for long. He attempts a flying knee, and Yanez slides to the side and starts chattering to Simon. The crowd is on Simon’s side, who walks into a huge right hand and is in a bad, bad way. Yanez cuts Simon off but does not go for broke or open himself up for a counter, measuring his shots and connecting flush on his foe. Simon is not about to go quietly into this good night, and he loads up and cracks Yanez again. Yanez is quick to reply with three crisp punches, and he wipes his hands off and staves off a takedown shot. Simon proves out with a power jab, and Yanez further bloodies him up with his own offerings. The two are going tit-for-tat with strong offense this far into the match, both having been caught cleanly and still hellbent for leather. Yanez clips Simon with a right hand at the end of a short combo, and he leans back as a huge right hand soars past him. Yanez rocks Simon with a massive right hand, and Simon drops to his knees barely still with it. Simon sways and keeps his hands up while on his knees, and Yanez tries to finish the job with a mighty flurry of fiery fists. Grice watches on but does not intervene, and Simon’s face swells up like a balloon from the onslaught of punches. The buzzer sounds, Grice shoves Yanez off of Simon, and Simon stands but is out on his feet looking to hug his likely victorious opponent and stay on his feet. Cutwoman Swayze Valentine tends to the many wounds that have appeared on Simon’s face, and he has to hang onto her shoulders so he does not fall over. What a fight that turned out to be.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Yanez (30-27 Yanez)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Yanez (30-27 Yanez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Yanez (30-27 Yanez)

The Official Result
Adrian Yanez vs. Ricky Simon is Ruled a Majority Draw (28-29, 28-28, 28-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 22, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Angelo picks Ricky Simon because he believes Simon's relentless pressure and wrestling will negate Yanez's technical striking. He notes that Simon's takedown defense was exposed against Honey Balcelos, but Balcelos is a high-level wrestler, while Yanez has no offensive takedowns. Angelo also mentions the hometown advantage and the possibility of a close decision, but expects Simon's wrestling to be effective enough to secure the win.

"I think Ricky's pressure is going to negate the technical striking. I think he's going to open up the takedowns."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Mar 23, 2026 (5 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Big Brady picks Ricky Simón to win by decision, but he is hesitant. He notes that Simón has been on a three-fight losing streak and his cardio and wrestling have declined. However, he believes Simón's wrestling upside is key, as Adrian Yañez has not faced a wrestler in the UFC. Simón is the hometown fighter, and Brady thinks he can mix in takedowns, cage push, and win minutes in the clinch to secure a decision.

Simón by decision

"I think Ricky Simón can cage push here, win minutes in the clinch. I think he can mix in the takedowns, and I think he wins this fight by decision."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Mar 25, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Adrian Yañez

Cody picks Yanez, believing his striking and takedown defense will be enough to win rounds. He's concerned about Simon's hometown advantage but thinks Yanez lands the more significant shots.

"My official pick is actually Adrian Yanez."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked Mar 27, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Adrian Yañez

Connor picks Yañez, thinking that Simón doesn't want to win just by holding someone down and will engage in the pocket, where Yañez can catch him. He notes that Simón is square and takes his eyes off the target, and Yañez has power.

"I'm going to take Yanya's."

MMA Vivisection

Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Mar 24, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Adrian Yañez

Daniel believes Yanez's boxing and takedown defense will be too much for Simon, who he thinks is past his best. He cites sources saying Yanez is sharp again and likes the underdog value.

"I'm picking Adrian Yanez as an underdog pick here at UFC Seattle."

Half the Battle

Diary of a Pro Gambler Expert Confident picked Mar 28, 2026 (fight day)

Ricky Simón

The host picks Simón despite his poor fight IQ and tendency to strike instead of wrestle. He argues that Simón's wrestling is his path to victory, and Yanez's takedown defense is inflated because he has only faced strikers. Footage from Yanez's fight against Daniel Marcos shows he can be taken down and held down easily. However, the host warns that Simón may not commit to grappling, making this a risky bet.

Pass on fight spread and over/under; odds not favorable.

"If you came to me and you said, 'Hey Chris, I've got a crystal ball... I can promise you Ricky Simon will grapple his dick off for 15 minutes nonstop.' I'd be like, 'Great. Let's bet 100 units on Simon.'"

Diary of a Pro Gambler

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 24, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Adrian Yañez

The host sees Yañez as the better striker with good takedown defense and getups, allowing him to keep the fight standing. He believes Yañez's striking edge and reach advantage will allow him to piece up Simón, and he even suggests Yañez might score a knockout. He notes Simón's reliance on power and wrestling, but thinks Yañez can avoid the big shots and find a finish.

knockout

"I still think that Yanz will showcase his striking in edge here, which is why I like him as a plus uh 125 dog. I think so much so that he might even be able to uncor a big knockout …"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Mar 25, 2026 (3 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Paul leans Simon, citing his wrestling and hometown crowd. He thinks Simon's control time could sway judges, especially with the Seattle crowd.

"I think Simon wins this fight."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 27, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Ricky Simón

The MMA Guru picks Ricky Simón, noting his improved demeanor and grappling ability. He believes Simón is well-rounded enough to grapple his way to a decision victory. He criticizes Adrian Yañez's recent performances, pointing out losses to Rob Font and Daniel Marcos, and suggests Yañez struggles against capable opponents. He expects Simón to mix in grappling and land good shots on the feet.

"I'm going to go with Ricky Simone. He looks mean for this one."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Hesitant picked Mar 27, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Ricky Simón

Zane picks Simón for the wrestling, noting that Simón has shown more interest in keeping people down recently. He is hesitant because Yañez has good defensive wrestling and is a higher output fighter, but he thinks Simón's wrestling will be the difference in a close fight.

"I think I'm going to take Ricky Simone here for the wrestling."

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Raoni Barcelos

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown · Nov 08, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Ricky Simón	0	67 of 181	37%	77 of 191	0 of 6	0%	0	1	1:25
Raoni Barcelos	0	82 of 187	43%	86 of 194	1 of 8	12%	0	0	0:09

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Ricky Simón	24 of 52	46%	34 of 62	0 of 2	0%	1	0:45
1	Raoni Barcelos	16 of 33	48%	19 of 39	1 of 3	33%	0	0:09
2	Ricky Simón	16 of 47	34%	16 of 47	0 of 3	0%	0	0:40
2	Raoni Barcelos	32 of 71	45%	33 of 72	0 of 2	0%	0	0:00
3	Ricky Simón	27 of 82	32%	27 of 82	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00
3	Raoni Barcelos	34 of 83	40%	34 of 83	0 of 3	0%	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Ricky Simón	67 of 181	37%	57 of 165	9 of 15	1 of 1	58 of 170	3 of 4	6 of 7
Raoni Barcelos	82 of 187	43%	53 of 150	19 of 24	10 of 13	80 of 184	2 of 3	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Ricky Simón	24 of 52	46%	20 of 46	4 of 6	0 of 0	16 of 42	2 of 3	6 of 7
1	Raoni Barcelos	16 of 33	48%	9 of 26	3 of 3	4 of 4	15 of 31	1 of 2	0 of 0
2	Ricky Simón	16 of 47	34%	13 of 44	2 of 2	1 of 1	15 of 46	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Raoni Barcelos	32 of 71	45%	21 of 57	8 of 9	3 of 5	32 of 71	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Ricky Simón	27 of 82	32%	24 of 75	3 of 7	0 of 0	27 of 82	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Raoni Barcelos	34 of 83	40%	23 of 67	8 of 12	3 of 4	33 of 82	1 of 1	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Raoni Barcelos vs. Ricky Simon
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-160); Barcelos (+130)

Round 1
Sticking to the bantamweight division but flipping over to men, a pair of relative elder statesmen in the promotion come to blows with hopes of pushing their unlikely win streaks one step forward. Some six and a half years after getting wasted by Urijah Faber and totally written off, Simon (22-6, 10-5 UFC) has gone on a pair of respectable runs since then. The same can be said for 38-year-old Barcelos (20-5, 9-4 UFC), who once had a rough patch where he dropped four of five. Someone’s fortuitous stretch is about to crash into the proverbial wall, and referee Keith Peterson will follow the athletes every step of the nonsense-free way. Fists are bumped before they are traded.
Simon sprints to the center of the cage and looses a head kick that goes wide. He pushes out a front kick, and Barcelos whizzes past him with a fireball of a right hand. Barcelos jabs the body and allows Simon to leap at him, staying out of range so there is no strike to come from it. Simon sticks the Brazilian and moves, and Barcelos strides forward and is belted with an uppercut. Barcelos takes it well, and the two consider grappling but bail on it to brawl it out. Both men are putting everything into their swings, and Barcelos clips Simon and then shoots in for a double. Simon scrambles wildly and flips Barcelos over, where he starts smacking Barcelos around with high-arcing hammerfists.
Simon lashes out with elbows while Barcelos keeps him contained with butterfly hooks, and both men trade while in a horizontal position until Barcelos kicks off to stand up. Simon reaches him at the end of a right hand, and Barcelos wings on the overhand right counter. Simon dings the Brazilian with a one-two, and his jab is money. Barcelos smashes Simon in the face with a ruthless right hand, and somehow Simon not only sticks with it but returns fire with an uppercut that nearly lifts his man off the ground. Both men are no worse for wear from the mighty exchange, and Simon tries to sneak in a head kick that is blocked in time. Barcelos opens up upstairs with a pair of punches, and Simon backs him off with jabs. Barcelos tries to take the fight down, and he abandons it to slash out with an elbow up top. A final Simon takedown is blocked to end what was a close, tense round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos

Round 2
Barcelos starts off the round with a double jab and a right hand up top. Simon swings back with a huge overhand right, and Barcelos ducks it and plants a right on the jaw. Barcelos times a thumping calf kick and overswings on a right hand while chasing the man, and Simon knees him in the jaw. Barcelos digs a left to the body, and Simon’s quick kick and right hand greet him in rapid succession. Barcelos scrapes the side of his uppercut off the head, and he drops down for a low single and hurls Simon to a knee. Simon scrambles out of reach and gets back to his feet, only for Barcelos to ring his bell with a crisp uppercut and a power right hand. Barcelos crashes into his foe with a leaping uppercut, and Simon tries to time a double when he lands. Simon pushes Barcelos up against the wire, but the sprawl of Barcelos prevents the Washington native from going anywhere. Barcelos escapes with little more than a knee to the belly, and he allows Simon to circle all the way around him so he can find his angle in. Simon lands first with a right, but Barcelos connects last and the heavier of the two.
Barcelos goes to the body and then head, and he scoops Simon up and deposits him gingerly on the canvas. Simon jumps right back up, and Barcelos does not mind as he can trade hands with his foe. Simon scores an uppercut, and Barcelos reaches him with three punches over the guard. A naked leg kick from Simon is met with a two-punch salvo, and Barcelos rips a right to the body to punctuate the combo. Simon counters a low kick with a right hand, and Barcelos stands firm and jacks him in the jaw with a right hand and an uppercut. Simon dances and keeps Barcelos guessing with awkward movement, entries and exits that rely on speed and potshots with evasive movement. They both shoot at the same time and clash heads like bulls, and proceed to trade punches and kicks to end what is another tight round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos

Round 3
The final round opens with the Brazilian pushing the pace. He watches Simon attack and sways to dodge everything but an uppercut, and he storms back to nail Simon with a one-two that forces a takedown shot. Barcelos sits down on a right hand, Simon replies, and Barcelos comes over the top. Barcelos leaps in and lands a right after Simon’s strike connects on him, and Simon’s jab has bloodied the bridge of the Brazilian’s beak. Barcelos rubs his nose and busts Simon in the chops with a stiff right hand. Simon’s one-two also scores, but Barcelos still has the power edge and is putting more strikes together.
Both men go back and forth with their offensive offerings, with Simon just missing an uppercut when Barcelos ducked down. Barcelos jams a knee to the body, and he plants his shin on the side of Simon’s lead leg. Barcelos drops down for a snatch single, and he releases it and busts open Simon’s nose with power punches. Barcelos follows a punch with a high kick, and then goes back to a one-two. Simon’s stabbing jab is effective, as is his overhand right and uppercut to follow, but Barcelos stuns him when landing flush. Barcelos’ rights have Simon’s attention, and Simon tries to walk him down to attack the liver but finds himself in a slugfest. Barcelos goes after a double and bails on it to come back with an elbow, and knees fly from both men effectively after. Simon steps in with a sharp elbow, and both fighters unload their gas tanks and swing for the bleachers. Simon takes a kick in the face and screams for Barcelos to keep engaging, and they bang it out to the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (30-27 Barcelos)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (29-28 Barcelos)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos (30-27 Barcelos)

The Official Result
Raoni Barcelos def. Ricky Simon via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 2, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Angelo picks Ricky Simon because of his non-stop wrestling pace and power in his hands. He believes even if Raoni Barcelos has early takedown defense, Simon's relentless pressure will eventually get takedowns. He notes that Barcelos is aging and that wrestlers are not spectacular off their backs.

"I'm still picking Ricky here. I feel pretty good about it. Ricky's wrestling is non-stop, so even if Haney has early takedown defense, I don't think it's going to remain throughout 15 full minutes."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Nov 7, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Big Brady struggles with this pick, noting Simón has looked awful in recent fights and may be slowing down due to accumulated damage. He thinks Barcelos has better striking and both have questionable chins. He leans with the 38-year-old Barcelos to win by decision, but admits it's a sketchy pick.

decision

"I'm going to lean with the 38-year-old and Barcelos to win this fight by decision, but this is one that's definitely sketching me out a little bit."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 5, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Cody picks Barcelos, citing his takedown defense, BJJ black belt, and superior boxing volume. He thinks Simón's wrestling will be neutralized and Barcelos will outwork him over three rounds.

"Overall after 15 minutes, Ronnie Barcelos should have the bigger and greater body of work. So he should get the nod in my opinion and I'm gonna pick him."

Bookie Beatdown

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Nov 2, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Lucrative James is confident in Ricky Simón, going against the market. He believes Simón's wrestling and cardio advantage will be key, as Barcelos ages and has shown a deteriorating chin and gas tank. He expects Simón to mix takedowns and land big overhands, possibly finishing Barcelos. He also notes Barcelos has been hurt in recent fights.

"I'm going to pick Ricky Simone. I think Ricky Simone can hurt and actually finish Barcelos on the feet with big overhands."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

The host acknowledges Barcelos is the better striker on paper, but believes Simón's wrestling, athleticism, speed, and power will be decisive. He expects Simón to find a big shot and knock Barcelos out.

Knockout

"I believe Barcelos is the better striker on paper, but Simone is the better wrestler and closer to his prime. And I think that should allow him to utilize his athleticism advantage, speed advantage, and power edge."

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Nov 5, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Raoni Barcelos

Paul sees it as a 50/50 fight but likes Barcelos at plus money. He thinks if Simón can't get takedowns, Barcelos's striking and experience will carry him.

"Rowdy at plus 140, plus 150 seems like a decent little shot."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

The Guru picks Ricky Simón to win by first-round TKO. He believes Simón's well-rounded game and explosiveness will overwhelm the aging Barcelos, who relies on exploiting specific weaknesses. He notes Simón has no glaring holes in his grappling or pressure defense, unlike Barcelos's previous opponents.

round 1 TKO

"I'm going to go Ricky Simone getting this one done by a TKO finish in the first round."

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Cameron Smotherman

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Usman vs. Buckley · Jun 14, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Ricky Simón	0	34 of 74	45%	50 of 94	3 of 10	30%	0	0	9:13
Cameron Smotherman	0	29 of 99	29%	33 of 104	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:02

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Ricky Simón	7 of 13	53%	19 of 27	1 of 2	50%	4:27
1	Cameron Smotherman	1 of 6	16%	3 of 8	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Ricky Simón	16 of 31	51%	20 of 37	1 of 1	100%	2:56
2	Cameron Smotherman	11 of 37	29%	12 of 38	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Ricky Simón	11 of 30	36%	11 of 30	1 of 7	14%	1:50
3	Cameron Smotherman	17 of 56	30%	18 of 58	0 of 0	---	0:02

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Ricky Simón	34 of 74	45%	22 of 62	4 of 4	8 of 8	28 of 62	4 of 6	2 of 6
Cameron Smotherman	29 of 99	29%	23 of 89	5 of 9	1 of 1	25 of 94	4 of 5	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Ricky Simón	7 of 13	53%	5 of 11	0 of 0	2 of 2	4 of 7	3 of 3	0 of 3
1	Cameron Smotherman	1 of 6	16%	0 of 5	0 of 0	1 of 1	1 of 6	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Ricky Simón	16 of 31	51%	8 of 23	3 of 3	5 of 5	14 of 28	0 of 0	2 of 3
2	Cameron Smotherman	11 of 37	29%	9 of 35	2 of 2	0 of 0	10 of 36	1 of 1	0 of 0
3	Ricky Simón	11 of 30	36%	9 of 28	1 of 1	1 of 1	10 of 27	1 of 3	0 of 0
3	Cameron Smotherman	17 of 56	30%	14 of 49	3 of 7	0 of 0	14 of 52	3 of 4	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Ricky Simon vs. Cameron Smotherman
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-440), Smotherman (+340)

Round 1
On short notice, Simon (21-6, 9-5 UFC) now stands across the cage from high-flying Fury FC product Smotherman (12-5, 1-1 UFC). Simon was initially expected to battle Charles Jourdain, but it is what it is now. The bantamweights will be joined in the cage by referee Blake Grice, who claps them in as they choose to tap their gloves together. Smotherman jabs and low kicks, and Simon does the same. Simon turns his hips into one thudding kick, and he suddenly goes high with a kick that Smotherman barely blocks in time. Both swipe at the other with hooks, and Simon drops levels, stutter-steps and shoots for a single-leg takedown. Simon lifts Smotherman all the way in the air and chucks him to the mat, where Smotherman is quick to sit up against the wire. Simon hooks one leg in and starts peppering Smotherman with free left hands, and Smotherman is stuck unable to get back up. When Smotherman attempts to stand, Simon wrenches him back down again. Simon isolates Smotherman’s left arm in pursuit of a kimura, and Smotherman gives up position to defend against it. Simon takes advantage of this to step into full mount, and he allows Smotherman to turn over so he can start fishing for a rear-naked choke. Simon cannot get his hooks in, so Smotherman is able to fight back to his feet with about 30 seconds left in the round. Simon leans on him against the wire, kneeing him in the side of the head while trying to drag Smotherman back down. Simon rides out the round squeezing.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Simon

Round 2
Smotherman takes the center of the cage and marches forward to start off the second round, looking for a hook that he cannot find yet. Simon loops a right hand around the guard and plunks the front leg with a kick, and he dodges the counter to weave a right hand up top. Simon kicks the front leg and keeps his guard up to block the right hand aimed down the pipe, and he walks into a pair of punches but does not budge. Instead, Simon leaps in the air with a knee, and he lands and grabs hold of a double. Simon tackles Smotherman to his back, placing himself in half guard while exerting heavy shoulder pressure. Simon flattens his man out when Smotherman tries to buck and twist to get out, and he slashes down with a pair of elbows. Simon leans back a slight amount to wrap his arm around Smotherman’s neck, either for a guillotine setup or to push Smotherman down. Simon spins around to grab his foe from behind, and Smotherman stands back up in the process. Simon leans on Smotherman from the back while jamming Smotherman against the wall, and Smotherman starts chattering towards the grapple-heavy adversary. Simon ignores it and continues to embrace the grind, transitioning a single to a double and back to a single. Smotherman looks for a standing ninja choke, but Simon wriggles his neck out without concern. “The Baby-Faced Killer” drives a knee down the middle, and when it succeeds, he goes for another. Simon shrugs them off and loops a right hand up top and a left to the liver. Simon narrowly avoids a looping right hand as he scores a low kick, and Smotherman’s final strike of the round is a front kick to the chest. Grice has to get between the two when the horn sounds, ushering them back to their corners. Smotherman does not appear to be a happy man right now.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Simon

Round 3
Smotherman is fired up between rounds, and he starts throwing hands and grins when Simon obliges him. Simon takes a jab on the forehead and showboats while dodging the two follow-ups, looking away from the swinging Texan. Simon clips Smotherman with a right hand on the temple, and he grabs hold of Smotherman in a body lock and throws him to his knees. Smotherman powers back up to his feet, but Simon is a dog with a bone as he tries to go from a double to a single to a body lock. Simon pursues a double again when the other efforts fail, and Smotherman’s defense holds up even as he is stuck against the wire. Smotherman pushes off a knee, forcing Simon to wing two punches and shoot in for a double that finally succeeds. Smotherman is placed on his seat, and Simon holds him down and keeps his arms wrapped around a single to keep him in place. Smotherman still gets back to his feet, and he shakes Simon up with an elbow. Smotherman walks him down, firing a left to the body and a right to the head. When Simon counters, Smotherman hits him with a step-in knee. Simon eats a left hook to fire one back, and his right hand gets Smotherman’s attention and tells him it will not be as easy as walking through him with heavy fists. Simon shoots hard for a single, and Smotherman responds with a ninja choke and backs himself to the fencing. Simon is completely unfazed by the submission attempt, not budging and instead pressing on Smotherman until Smotherman bails on it. Smotherman breaks out of the takedown attempt and clinch to drive a pair of lefts to the liver and temple. Simon jabs to beat him to the punch a few times, and Smotherman is winding up with everything he has with his right hand. Simon is able to intercept him when he launches those missiles, slipping the most dangerous of the punches and hitting Smotherman back. Smotherman jabs to the body with the ball of his foot, winging a left to the same spot and a right up top. Simon shrugs at him, but he got stung with the power strikes. Smotherman unloads with pure power, tagging Simon a few times and eating some responsive blows until time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Simon (30-27 Simon)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman (29-28 Simon)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Smotherman (29-28 Simon)

The Official Result
Ricky Simon def. Cameron Smotherman via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jun 13, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Ricky Simón

Connor is confident in Simón, believing his confidence is restored after a recent knockout win. He notes that Simón is a busy, multi-level fighter with good wrestling and striking, while Smotherman is not at this level and will give away initiative. Connor thinks Simón's speed and aggression will overwhelm Smotherman, who struggled against rangy fighters.

"I think that this fight against Smotherman is only going to help."

MMA Vivisection

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 13, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Ricky Simón

The Guru picks Ricky Simón, noting he is 'barely a favorite' and sees value. He highlights Simón's momentum from a KO win over Javid Basharat and his power in the pocket. He criticizes Smotherman's quick turnaround after a loss where he took damage, and trusts Simón's fundamentals and grappling options.

"I actually think this is really good odds for Ricky Simone. He's barely a favorite here. I know he's stepping up and you know Cameron Smotherman lost his last fight and he's stepping in and this is a bit of …"

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jun 13, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Ricky Simón

Zane agrees that Simón is too good across the board. He notes that Smotherman is a good athlete but lacks initiative and will be stuck in place against Simón's pressure. Zane points out that Simón's wrestling and striking are superior, and that Smotherman's recent loss showed his limitations. He calls it a terrible fight for Smotherman on short notice.

"Simone is way too good across the board."

MMA Vivisection

CANCEL vs Charles Jourdain

UFC on ESPN: Usman vs. Buckley · Jun 14, 2025

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 8, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Angelo picks Ricky Simón because of his relentless wrestling and cardio. He believes Charles does not have good enough takedown defense to stop multiple shots. He notes that Ricky's losses are to top competition and he is consistent.

"This should be Ricky all day long."

We Want Picks

WIN vs Javid Basharat

KO R1 3:58 · UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song · Feb 22, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Ricky Simón	1	11 of 21	52%	18 of 29	1 of 3	33%	0	0	1:16
Javid Basharat	0	20 of 36	55%	21 of 38	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:01

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Ricky Simón	1	11 of 21	52%	18 of 29	1 of 3	33%	0	0	1:16
1	Javid Basharat	0	20 of 36	55%	21 of 38	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:01

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Ricky Simón	11 of 21	52%	9 of 19	1 of 1	1 of 1	9 of 18	1 of 2	1 of 1
Javid Basharat	20 of 36	55%	12 of 27	7 of 7	1 of 2	20 of 36	0 of 0	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Ricky Simón	11 of 21	52%	9 of 19	1 of 1	1 of 1	9 of 18	1 of 2	1 of 1
1	Javid Basharat	20 of 36	55%	12 of 27	7 of 7	1 of 2	20 of 36	0 of 0	0 of 0

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Feb 16, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Javid Basharat

Angelo picks Javid Basharat but is hesitant because of Javid's frustratingly passive performance in his last fight. He acknowledges Ricky Simón's relentless wrestling pressure and cardio could sway judges if Javid is too patient. He trusts Javid's takedown defense and superior striking, but admits it's hard to be confident given Javid's tendency to stare.

"Javid is going to be the pick... I'm going to chill though because if I had to trust one of these two to stick to something, it actually would be Ricky."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 17, 2025 (5 days before fight)

Javid Basharat

Big Brady picks Javid Basharat despite not loving the -300 price tag. He notes that Ricky Simón looks washed at only 32, with poor recent performances against Vinicius Oliveira, Mario Bautista, and Song Yadong. He believes Simón needs to wrestle for 15 minutes but doubts he can take down or hold down Basharat. He predicts Basharat wins by decision.

by decision

"I got to pick bosra and I got to pick him to win by decision"

DFS by the Numbers

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 20, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Javid Basharat

The host notes Simón is on a three-fight losing streak and faces a tough opponent in Basharat, who has stellar takedown defense and superior striking. He expects Basharat to pick Simón apart from distance and win on the scorecards.

"look for bashat to utilize has Stellar takedown defense and in a superior striking game picking in part Ricky Simone from distance and winning this fight on the scorecards"

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 21, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Javid Basharat

The Guru feels Ricky Simón has lost his mojo, citing recent losses where he was walked down. He believes Basharat is at a level similar to Victor Henry and will outpoint Simón in a striking fight. He doesn't see Simón overpowering Basharat in grappling or striking, predicting a decision win for Basharat.

"I'm gonna have to go with Javid basharat I can only imagine he's taking his foot off the pedal when it comes to training"

THE MMA GURU

LOSS vs Vinicius Oliveira

DEC R3 5:00 · UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 · Jun 29, 2024

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

LOSS vs Mario Bautista

DEC R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 · Jan 13, 2024

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-175), Bautista (+145)

Round 1
A spot in the top 15 at bantamweight is on the line for this “featured fight of the night.” Simon (20-4, 8-3 UFC) lost in his last fight in a main event, and Bautista (13-2, 7-2 UFC) has rattled off five straight in the Octagon. The two speedy fighters will be overseen by referee Mark Smith, and they race towards one another without a glove touch in sight. As Bautista starts off with leg kicks, Simon opts to jump over one. Bautista continues spamming kicks, and one glances off the cup. Simon shakes it and signals to Smith he does not need a break. Bautista changes his trajectory and aims a kick at the head, and Simon cannot find his distance with Bautista kicking again and again. Simon times one advancing movement of his foe with a big left hand, and he clips Bautista with a right hand when Bautista does not get away in time. Bautista lances the guard with two punches, and he connects with a flying knee as well but he is the one that hits the ground. Bautista jumps back to his feet before Simon can climb on top of him, and he leaps at Simon with a knee. Simon catches him in the air and tackles him to the canvas, where he lands on top of his man and quickly gets to half guard. Simon skitters over to the side, and he threatens with a guillotine choke before Bautista scrambles back to his feet. Bautista escapes the choke and scores two big punches on the way up and out. Simon chambers and fires a pair of heavier low kicks, and he walks through a step-in knee so he can take Bautista down. Bautista fights off one attempt, and he gets away and prepares a knee when Simon comes at him. Simon takes it like a champ and keeps plowing forward, and he succeeds in pushing Bautista against the wall. Bautista fights his way out of the tie-up and chases Simon down, working on the lead leg of his opponent and sticking out a few jabs. Bautista unloads with a right hand after a jab, and he falls forward to his face. Simon lets him up so he can slug it out with him, and Bautista responds with two jabs and a body shot. Bautista aims a kick to the ribs, and he follows it with two more. Bautista rushes after his foe with a jump knee, and he gets cracked with a left hand and falls over. Bautista scrambles wildly and fights off a back take to get back upright, and Simon gives chase until the wild round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 2
The round kicks off with several kicks for Bautista, who spins his way into a wheel kick that misses by a matter of inches. Both fighters swing with major power and do not find their home, and Simon opens up with a combination only to get countered and driven back. Simon kicks low and gets checked, and Bautista strings together five punches and keeps the pace up. Simon chambers but does not release his strikes until unloading with a left to the body, and Bautista’s volume triples him up. Bautista swings so hard with a right and a left hook that he almost goes down, and he catches himself in the process. Simon scores a right and shoots in for a double, pushing Bautista back to the wire but halted from lifting Bautista up in the air. Bautista escapes the position and chains a number of punches together before Simon can get him back. Bautista connects with a crisp elbow, and Simon gets stunned and winds up to throw back but learns that Bautista is out of the way. Bautista rips a few shots to the body that land with thumps, and Simon looks for a straight right hand. Bautista retaliates with his own straight right, and Simon sneaks forward and catches him with a knee. Simon pushes out a right hand, and Bautista belts him in the body with a powerful liver kick. Bautista drives a knee to the solar plexus and takes a left hand that bloodies his nose, and he looks for an uppercut. Simon jabs and digs a right to the body, and Bautista counters him with multiple powerful blows. Simon shakes off the cobwebs and shoots for a double, and Bautista shuts him down and pushes off. Bautista lands at the end of a right hand, and Simon gets backed off by subsequent jabs and a knee that bounces off his guard. Bautista reaches out with a right, and Simon responds with a takedown. Bautista stops it, dodges a right hand and sticks out a front kick that smacks Simon in the face right before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 3
The bantamweights are ready and rearing to go to start off the final frame, and they proceed to open up with flurries of punches. The heavy shots from Simon continue to bloody the nose of his opponent, but Bautista is accurate and putting up decent numbers. Bautista ducks under a big punch and goes after his own takedown, but Simon turns the tables and lifts him up in the air. In true Matt Hughes fashion, Simon carries Bautista from one side of the cage to the other, and he slams Bautista down on his elbow. Simon lowers himself down in half guard to squeeze with an arm-triangle choke, but Bautista’s leg fighting drags him back to guard. The two scramble madly until Bautista escapes well enough to wall-walk, and he is back up in the blink of an eye. Simon slips a punch and scores a left, and Bautista steps in with a knee that is just short. Bautista does not allow Simon to take a break, but Simon is ready and willing to trade furious. Simon continues to pursue takedowns, and Bautista fights them off and backs Simon up against the cage. Bautista dings Simon with straight punches, more content to touch than load up on anything of merit. Bautista boots Simon in the guts with a kick, and he chains punches together with cardio not an issue at all. Bautista plinks Simon with accurate punches, and Simon desperately goes for a takedown as his gas tank appears to be fading. Bautista stands him up and busts him up with a continuously flood of fists. Simon is tough and still looking for takedowns, but Bautista is a stone wall at this point and ready to throw hands. Simon gets stood up again and tries for a jump knee, and Bautista pursues a takedown to conclude the fight. He does not get it before the bell, ending one heck of a scrap.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Bautista (30-27 Bautista)

The Official Result
Mario Bautista def. Ricky Simon via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

LOSS vs Song Yadong

KO/TKO R5 1:10 · UFC on ESPN: Song vs. Simon · Apr 29, 2023

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Ricky Simon vs. Yadong Song
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-115), Song (-105)

Round 1
This bantamweight clash was supposed to be a co-main event one week ago before UFC Fight Night 223 lost its originally scheduled headliner. Now Song and Simon get two extra rounds with which to work. Herb Dean gets the final officiating assignment of the night. Simon tests the waters with a high kick and front kick. Song defends without issue. Simon lands a leg kick as both fighters remain patient. Song sidesteps a takedown and lands a leg kick. Song steps in with a knee and misses a right hand. Song blocks a body kick and then lands a hard one of his own. Song catches a kick and Simon spins out of it. A 1-2 connects for Simon and Song responds with a leg kick. Simon doubles up on his jab and follows with a right. They clinch against the fence and battle for position before Simon shakes his foe off. Simon lands a clubbing right. A leg kick connects for Simon and Song smiles. A left lands for Song and then Simon can’t finish a takedown. Song avoids a level change and fires off punches as Simon moves out of danger. Another three-punch combo lands for Simon and Song answers with a leg kick. Simon sticks a jab before the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Simon
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Simon

Round 2
Song opens with a front kick to the midsection. He follows up with a leg kick and Simon backs him up with a combination. Simon lands another jab. Another jab for Simon gets through. Song backs up Simon with a powerful combination and Simon briefly falls to the canvas after a clash of heads. He quickly transitions to a double leg takedown, giving him time to recover. Song is able to scramble up in a hurry. Simon sticks his jab and Song responds with a hard right to the body. Song with a push kick down the middle and Simon circles away. A clean left hook catches Simon. Another hard left lands for Song, who seems to have found his timing. Simon backs up his foe with multiple jabs. Song pressures and swings heavy leather. Simon continues to work his jab, but Song is undeterred. Song lands a leg kick. Simon evades some jabs but Song lands a left to the liver. Simon eats a right but gets a takedown in the waning moments of the round. He unloads with a flurry of hammerfists from above while Song attacks from his back in a frantic final exchange.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Song
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Song
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Song

Round 3
Song kicks the lead leg and avoids a hook. Simon shoots for a takedown but Song stuffs it and they’re back at distance. Song tries to land another body shot during an exchange but it lands below the belt, and time is called. Simon needs less than a minute to recover and the fight resumes. Simon just dodges a head kick but Song does connect with a leg kick. Song with two more leg kicks. Simon jabs and follows with a takedown but Song easily evades it. Song misses a pair of high kicks but he digs a left hook to the body moments later. A right lands clean for Song. A left from Song puts Simon on wobbly legs, and he circles away. A right to the body finds a home for Simon. Song pressures with punches and Simon circles away. A right uppercut lands to the body for Song. Song misses a high kick followed by a spinning back fist. The round concludes with Song being warned by Dean for leading with his head.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Song
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Song
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Song

Round 4
Simon fires off a combination but Song dodges it. Song lands a leg kick. Simon hits a low kick of his own. Simon attempts a flying knee but Song shoves him back. Song then puts together a nice combination, landing to the body and head. Song sticks a jab then sprawls on a takedown. Simon resets and tries again, but yet again Song denies it. Song moves in with a left hook to the head, and Simon circles away. Song backs up Simon with a combination and then digs a hook to the body. Simon fires off a right hand and then a pair of leg kicks. Another right for Song. Song again lands a combination, but Simon answers with a jab. Song has a low kick checked. Simon moves forward behind his jab and Song answers with a body kick. Simon thinks about a takedown but Song is wise to it. Song with a right hook. Simon moves in with a straight left. Another jab lands for Simon. Song doubles up on his jab and follows with a right hand. Son lands a leg kick and sits Simon down with a left hand right at the horn. Song dives into top position as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Song
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Song
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Song

Round 5
Simon will likely need something big to get the win. Simon jabs forward. Song lands a left hook to the body. A nicely timed overhand right stops Simon in his tracks. Shortly thereafter,
Song drops Simon with a left hook during an exchange. Song pounces on his reeling foe, unloading with heavy punches. Simon tries to scramble out of danger, but the barrage continues and he falls back to the canvas, still absorbing damage.
Finally, Dean has seen enough and steps in to wave off the bout.

The Official Result
Yadong Song def. Ricky Simon via TKO (Punches) R5 1:10

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Apr 27, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Connor is impressed with Simón's rapid improvement, especially his boxing and wrestling integration since the Rob Font loss. He notes Simón's flexibility, ability to counter off the back foot, and scrambling prowess. However, he acknowledges Song's power and chin, and the risk of a knockout. He ultimately favors Simón due to Song's stagnation and Simón's adaptability.

Odds mentioned: Simón opened +104, dropped to -130, currently -115. Song opened -115, currently +122. Small cage noted as a factor helping Simón.

"I think Ricky Simone, there are a lot of opportunities on a one-note fighter like Song Yedong despite his physicality."

MMA Vivisection

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Apr 27, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Ricky Simón

Zane agrees with Connor, citing Simón's improvement and Song's plateau. He highlights Simón's wrestling threat and pace, and Song's tendency to throw everything hard and get tracked down. He notes Song's potential to knock Simón out but leans on Simón's recent performances and adaptability.

Same odds commentary as Connor.

"We're both picking Ricky Simone."

MMA Vivisection

View all 16 fights