Ricky Simon
Active 2018–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 81.0
Scouting report
Rapid-fire takedown chains, aggressive scrambles, and heavy overhands carried Ricky Simon into the bantamweight top ten. He is from Vancouver, Washington and trains out of Gracie Barra Portland. Simon has victories over Merab Dvalishvili, Jack Shore, and Ray Borg. His endurance and wrestling volume are reflected by a 90 Cardio and 88 Wrestling, giving him an 81 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Simon put together a four-fight winning streak between 2020 and 2021, defeating Ray Borg by decision, submitting Gaetano Pirrello via arm-triangle on Fight Island, and knocking out veteran Raphael Assuncao in round two at UFC Fight Night 199 in Las Vegas. His wrestling pressure, takedown persistence, and developing boxing power are documented in an 88 Wrestling and 90 Cardio rating across these fights.
In 2022, Simon submitted previously undefeated Jack Shore with an arm-triangle at UFC on ABC 3, before dropping bouts to Song Yadong by fifth-round TKO and Mario Bautista on a decision across 2023 and 2024 in Las Vegas. His chain wrestling entries, takedown defense, and top riding maintain his ratings of 88 Wrestling and 89 Cardio.
Ricky Simon, the Camas wrestler who won a title in the Legacy Fighting Alliance
Ricky Simon was born in Pendleton, Oregon, and started wrestling at nine. At Union High School in Camas, Washington, he placed seventh in the state as a sophomore, but a plan to wrestle at Clark College fell through and he turned to MMA. He was a middle school wrestling coach and won the Legacy Fighting Alliance bantamweight title, defending it once against Vinicius Zani, before joining the big promotion with a 12-1 record.
Simon's ratings, one by one
Boxing. Decent at 80. He beat Rani Yahya by split decision in 2019.
Kickboxing. His lowest mark at 76, below his 80 in boxing.
Wrestling. 88 in every edition, second only to cardio among his marks. He started wrestling at nine.
BJJ. Strong at 82. He finished Gaetano Pirrello with an arm triangle in 2021 and Jack Shore with an arm triangle in 2022, and finished Merab Dvalishvili with a guillotine at the end of round three in his debut.
Strength. Above average at 77. He beat Raphael Assuncao by knockout in the second round in 2021, so there is pop behind the wrestling.
Durability. Reliable at 84. Song Yadong stopped him in the fifth round of a five-round fight in 2023.
Cardio. His top number at 90. He was still fighting in round five against Song Yadong in 2023, and his debut finish against Dvalishvili came at 5:00 of round three.
Fight IQ. Solid at 82. He earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the Shore submission and another for a first-round knockout of Javid Basharat in 2025.
Cardio is what keeps him in every fight
Cardio is his highest rating in every edition. In his debut against Merab Dvalishvili in April 2018, he locked in a guillotine late in round three, and the finish came at 5:00 of that round, the latest stoppage in a three-round fight in the promotion. The finish was controversial, and the fight earned Fight of the Night. His 2023 fight with Song Yadong, which went into round five, also fits the rating.
The standing game is his limit: Kickboxing
Kickboxing at 76 is the lowest number. Urijah Faber stopped him in round one in July 2019, Song Yadong stopped him in round five in 2023, and Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira both beat him by decision in 2024. When a fight stays on the feet against a sharper striker, he has to rely on a takedown that a good defender can stuff.
Keep exploring
Closest bantamweight profiles to Ricky Simon, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Scott Jorgensenbest cardio 86 · weakest kickboxing 74
- Mario Bautistabest cardio 89 · weakest strength 74
- Urijah Faberbest wrestling 90 · weakest strength 76
- Jimmie Riverabest cardio 88 · weakest strength 76
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Ricky Simon's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Ricky Simon into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Ricky Simon is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Ricky Simon's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.