SUMMARY
- On January 13, 2024. Ricky Simon and Mario Bautista are set to compete in the bantamweight division.
- Ricky Simon made his UFC debut against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee on April 21, 2018.
The UFC Apex facility is all set to host the next major UFC event, ‘UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2’ on January 13, 2024. Ricky Simon and Mario Bautista are set to compete in the bantamweight division. Despite the main event being the fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, this fight has gained heat because of the UFC fighters’ interviews about it.
Ricky Simon made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee on April 21, 2018. The fight was against Merab Dvalishvili, and Simon made Dvalishvili tap out in the final round using the Guillotine Choke. Since then, the 31-year-old fighter has gone on to win eight fights and lose only three. However, he lost via knockout in his last fight against Song Yadong at UFC Vegas 72.
Mario Bautista, an American UFC fighter, made his UFC debut against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw on January 19, 2019. He replaced John Lineker, who was injured and lost the fight via submission.
However, since then, the veteran has won seven fights and lost only one. He is on a five-match winning streak coming into the fight. So, he would definitely like to continue his winning streak and enter the top 15 of the UFC.
UFC Vegas 84: Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista stats
Stats | Ricky Simon | Mario Bautista |
Wins | 20 | 13 |
Losses | 4 | 2 |
Height | 5’6″ | 5’8″ |
Division | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
Reach | 69″ | 69″ |
Age | 31 | 30 |
Ricky Simon and Mario Bautista: Fight breakdown and prediction
Ricky Simon holds a record of 20 victories and four losses in the UFC. He is famous for his lethal striking abilities and submission holds. 4 of his victories have come from submissions, 6 via knockouts, and 6 victories in the first round itself. Thus, accurate striking and submission attempts will be key for him in his fight against Mario Bautista.
Bautista will enter the octagon on January 13, 2024, on the back of a five-win streak. In his entire career, he has lost only two fights and won 13 fights. Six of his victories have come via submissions and three from knockouts. Despite being a submission specialist, the veteran has struggled with knockouts and will be hoping to tap out Simon early into the fight.
As for stats, Mario Bautista has a higher striking average of 5.32 with a striking accuracy of 52% compared to Simon’s average of 3.01 with an accuracy of 44%. Similarly, compared to Bautista’s submission average per 15 minutes of 1.26, Simon’s submission average is only 0.40, although both of them have a takedown accuracy of 50%. Hence, Mario has a clear advantage in the fight.
Keeping in mind Bautista’s striking and submission records and his five-match winning streak, this seems like a bad matchup. Fans can expect frequent submission attempts and some lethal strikes from the Brazilian early in the fight. If Mario Bautista can get his submission hold locked and get his strikes right, then the fight between them can get over very soon at UFC Vegas 84.