Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon Best Bet: Which Bantamweight Will Continue to Rise at UFC Fight Night?
Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon Best Bet: Which Bantamweight Will Continue to Rise at UFC Fight Night?
Song Yadong and Ricky Simon meet in a highly-anticipated bout in the bantamweight division Saturday night at the Apex Center in Las Vegas. Song Yadong is looking to avenge a loss, while Ricky Simon looks to build on an impressive five-fight winning streak. Song is currently ranked eighth in the bantamweight division, while Ricky Simon is a few spots below him at tenth.
The winner will surely get a top-five opponent next and be even closer to a title shot. Simon is currently a slight favorite to win, with odds around -120, but the lines are jumping at different books, with Song even being the slight favorite on some books.
Yadong vs. Simon Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon Prediction
Song Yadong enters this fight with a 19-7-1 record, with eight knockouts and three submissions. While he is coming off a loss, it is important to note that the fight was stopped by doctors due to a cut. The fight was tied 2-2 on two of the judges' scorecards, and Song Yadong was holding his own against a tough opponent in Cory Sandhagen. If he had won the fifth round, he would have beaten Sandhagen by a split decision. This loss will undoubtedly motivate him to come back stronger and prove himself in the octagon, proven by his past performances of a loss. Song has seven losses, and after each one, he has yet to lose his next fight, proving he bounces back strong. However, he will face a very game opponent in Ricky Simon.
Ricky Simon has an impressive record of 20-3, with six knockouts and four submissions. He is coming off a dominant win over Jack Shore, who was 17-0 entering his fight with Simon. Simon's wrestling and grappling skills are top-notch, and he has shown that he can finish fights with his submissions or even grind out dominant decisions with control time. However, his striking game is not as polished as Song Yadong's, which could prove to be his downfall in this fight.
When comparing the two fighters' styles, it is clear that Song Yadong has a striking advantage. He is known for his powerful punches and kicks, and he is not afraid to take risks in the octagon. Song loves to press the action in the opening rounds, and he is living for a knockout at pretty much any moment in the fight. He has tremendous power for a bantamweight, and his diverse striking arsenal has made him more and more dangerous every time he steps in the octagon.
Ricky Simon, on the other hand, tends to rely on his grappling skills to take his opponents down and win on control time or find a submission, although his striking has looked far improved. While this has worked wonders so far for Simon, he may have more trouble against someone like Song, who has excellent takedown defense and can keep the fight standing. This will be crucial in this fight, as Ricky Simon will undoubtedly try to take him down and control the fight on the ground. However, if Song Yadong can keep the fight standing, he will have the advantage over Simon.
At the end of the day, this fight comes down to whether Song can stay on his feet or not. Simon is undoubtedly an excellent wrestler, and he is very talented at setting up his takedowns. However, I think Song can keep the fight standing. He has 71% takedown defense in the UFC, and he has fought some excellent wrestlers during his tenure in the promotion. Even when Song does go down, he has always been able to work his way back up quickly, and he does not accept being on his back.
Song also has explosive counter-striking off the fence, and if Simon takes this fight to the fence to set up a takedown, Song may catch him with the fight-ending blow when he breaks off the fence. Simon may rack up control time and grind this win out, but I like Song to keep this fight where he is comfortable and maybe even find the finish on the feet. This is a great price for the person with the speed and striking advantage in this fight.
Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon Best Bet
Pick: Song Yadong ML +100 Get the best odds for this pick by checking every sportsbook here
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.