UFC Fight Night: Yadong vs Simon Betting Analysis & Prediction
A great night of fights is set to take place again this weekend on the UFC schedule. In the co-main event slot, top 15 bantamweights Song Yadong and Ricky Simon are set to clash in the octagon. Both athletes are looking for a memorable performance to crack into the top 10 of the stacked division.
Read along at Insider’s Betting Digest for the best UFC news, betting analyses, and an official Yadong vs Simon prediction ahead of this weekend.
Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon
Location of the fight: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, NV.
Date and Time: April 22, 2023. 7 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN+
Yadong is coming off a tough loss to Cory Sandhagen last September by doctor stoppage.
Simon is taking a 5-fight winning streak into this weekend, with his last fight win being over the very talented Jack Shore last summer.
Yadong is for sure the dark horse of the UFC bantamweight division. He has some of the most talent out of anyone, and now training with Team Alpha Male will only bring his fighting ability to the next level.
He is 19-7 with 11 finishes in his professional career. Yadong also averages an impressive 4.55 significant strikes landed per minute in the octagon, while only absorbing 3.93. He will need every ounce of his 71% takedown defense as well, in this fight with a wrestle-heavy Simon.
Simon is arguably the hottest fighter in the division right now. It is tough to keep a winning streak in the bantamweight division, and this is his biggest fight of his career thus far.
The Northwest native has accumulated an impressive 20-3 record, with 10 finishes over his professional career. Rimon averages 3.04 significant strikes landed, and 2.95 absorbed per minute in the UFC. But where his offense will mostly come from is wrestling. He has an average of 6.55 takedowns landed per 15 minutes in the octagon.
No injuries have been reported to the NSAC.
Before arriving at a Yadong vs Simon prediction, we need to break down the UFC odds for this bout.
Oddsmakers have Simon as the slight betting favorite with a line of -145 at the start of fight week. Keep an eye on this line as the week progresses, because you never know how that line can trend as the fight gets closer.
Song Yadong is a very talented fighter, and getting him at +125 seems like a steal. UFC picks get even tougher than they already are when we have fights like this one. Two young prospects entering their primes and going to war.
The styles in this matchup are going to be interesting when they clash. Yadong is a very good all-around martial artist that trains with a great team, especially for wrestling. The outcome of this fight will be determined by how well Yadong can handle the takedowns from Simon.
When breaking down this fight and the styles of both men, it is very difficult to make the proper Yadong vs Simon prediction. They both are so good at what they do, and will probably both hang around the top of this division for years to come.
When the skill sets are so equal, you have to look beyond what you see on the stat sheet. In this one, the pick to make is Ricky Simon getting his hand raised. It is tough to say that because of how great of a fighter Yadong is.
The factor that sets Simon apart from Yadong is his momentum. Yadong fought great against Sandhagen, but he isn’t on a streak like Simon. Every time Simon gets in the octagon, he looks like he is transforming into a better fighter. The intensity and killer-instinct becomes more and more clear within him.
- Expect Simon to come into this fight with intentions to finish Yadong and a call-out in mind.
He will need a big fight, on a main card in front of a crowd this summer, with a big win this weekend.
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