- UFC odds for Fight Night 223 have Song Yadong +100 taking on Ricky Simon -120.
- Ricky Simon is on a five-fight winning streak with Yadong looking to bounce back from his loss to Cory Sandhagen.
- See our betting prediction for Yadong vs Simon below.
The UFC Vegas 72 clash between Song Yadong and Ricky Simon promises to be a thrilling matchup with the potential for an explosive fight. Both fighters boast impressive records, and the odds are very tight, making it difficult to predict a clear winner. However, we’ll take a closer look and make our betting prediction on who may have the edge.
Yadong vs Simon Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
| Song Yadong | +100 |
| Ricky Simon | -120 |
According to BetMGM, Ricky Simon is the slight betting favorite with odds of -120. Risk $120 on Simon to net $100 profit. Furthermore, using a conversion formula, we can calculate that Simon’s implied probability of winning is 54.5%. While Yadong’s implied probability of winning is 50%. Risk $100 on Yadong to net $100 profit, as the marginal underdog here.
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Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon Odds & Prediction
Yadong boasts a record of 19-7-1 (1 NC) and Simon with a record of 20-3-0. Let’s take a closer look at both fighters and their strengths and weaknesses to make a prediction on who will come out on top.
Yadong is eager to regain his footing after being subjected to a TKO loss by Cory Sandhagen at the UFC Fight Night 210 last September. Positioned at the eighth spot of the bantamweight division rankings, Yadong endeavors to defend his position against Simon.
Meanwhile, Ricky Simon has had an impressive five-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming over Jack Shore at UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez on July 16, 2022. Simon secured the win by submission (arm-triangle choke) in the second round, earning him the Performance of the Night bonus.
Prior to that, he knocked out Raphael Assunção at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus in December 2021, won a unanimous decision over Brian Kelleher at UFC 258 in February 2021, submitted Gaetano Pirrello with an arm-triangle choke and won a split decision over Ray Borg.
Simon’s wins have come through a variety of methods, including knockouts, submissions, and decisions. The wins have been spread across different weight classes, including featherweight and bantamweight. Simon’s strong performance in his recent fights has cemented his position as no.10 in the bantamweight division.
Song Yadong is a talented striker with a lot of power in his hands. He is quick and agile, which allows him to dart in and out of range, avoiding his opponent’s strikes while landing his own. Yadong is also a strong wrestler, which he uses to control his opponents on the ground and inflict damage from the top position.
That being said, Yadong can sometimes be reckless in his striking, leaving himself open to counterattacks. This could be a problem against a technical striker like Ricky Simon, who is known for his precision striking.
Ricky Simon is an excellent all-around fighter with a strong wrestling base. He is relentless in his pursuit of takedowns and has excellent ground-and-pound skills. Simon is also a solid striker, with good footwork and a wide variety of strikes in his arsenal. However, Simon can sometimes struggle against taller opponents, as he is only 5’6″. This could be a problem against Yadong, who has a two-inch reach advantage.
In terms of striking statistics, Yadong lands an average of 4.55 strikes per minute, while Simon lands an average of 3.04 strikes per minute. However, Simon has higher striking accuracy, with a 44% accuracy rate compared to Yadong’s 41%. While these statistics are helpful in analyzing the fighters’ strengths, they do not necessarily determine the outcome of the fight.
This is a tough fight to predict and decide you who want to wager on. Both fighters have their strengths and weaknesses, and it could come down to who can impose their game plan on the other.
If Yadong can keep the fight standing and avoid getting taken down, he could use his striking to outpoint Simon and potentially score a knockout. If Simon can take Yadong down and control him on the ground, he could potentially earn a decision victory or even finish the fight with ground-and-pound.
I would give a slight edge to Yadong due to his striking power and ability to defend takedowns. I would predict Yadong to win via TKO in the second or third round.
Caio Borralho and Michal Oleksiejczuk Features in Co-main
In the upcoming middleweight bout, the co-main event will feature the clash between Caio Borralho and Michal Oleksiejczuk. Both fighters are entering the battle with a sequence of wins in their respective records.
Borralho’s impressive track record boasts of an unbeaten streak of 11 wins, whereas Oleksiejczuk has garnered victories in his last two matches. BetMGM’s betting odds have forecasted Borralho as the top favorite at -305.
UFC Fight Night 223 Main Card
- Main Event-Bantamweight Bout: #8 Song Yadong (19-7-1) vs. #10 Ricky Simón (20-3)
- Co-Main Event– Middleweight Bout: Caio Borralho (13-1) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-5)
- Middleweight Bout: Rodolfo Vieira (8-2) vs. Cody Brundage (8-3)
- Featherweight Bout: Julian Erosa (28-10) vs. Fernando Padilla (14-4)
- Heavyweight Bout: Marcos Rogério De Lima (20-8-1) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (9-0)
