Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Ricky Simon will take on Mario Bautista in the Bantamweight bout. You can view the complete UFC Fight Night card.

Simon brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 69″ reach. In contrast, Bautista, an switch fighter, stands with a 69″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 44% striking accuracy, Simon has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 3.01 per minute. On the other hand, Bautista boasts a 51% striking accuracy, landing approximately 5.32 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 32-year-old, Ricky Simon is coming in with a 20-4-0 record. Simon will be fighting for the first time since a loss via KO/TKO against Song Yadong at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon in April.

Bautista, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Ricky Simon on April 29, 2023, at UFC 292: Sterling vs. O’Malley and holds a 13-2-0 record.

Ricky Simon has a orthodox fighting stance with an 69″ reach. The 32-year-old Mario Bautista is an switch fighter with a 69″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Ricky Simon stats

→ Simon’s striking accuracy is 44%.
→ Simon lands 3.01 significant strikes per minute.
→ Simon’s takedown accuracy is 50%.
→ Simon’s takedown average is 5.84 per 15 minutes.
→ Simon’s takedown defense is 75%.

Simon comes in with 44% striking accuracy, typically landing about 3.01 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Bautista fires at 51% accuracy, landing about 5.32 significant strikes per minute. Ricky Simon also has a 50% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 5.84 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Bautista’s 2.72 takedowns and 56% takedown accuracy.

Mario Bautista stats

→ Bautista’s striking accuracy is 51%.
→ Bautista lands 5.32 significant strikes per minute.
→ Bautista’s takedown accuracy is 50%.
→ Bautista’s takedown average is 2.72 per 15 minutes.
→ Bautista’s takedown defense is 56%.

Mario spent, on average, 7:58 minutes in the Octagon, and Ricky has an average fight time of 12:38 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be a fun clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Ricky or Mario? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC Fight Night fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.