Bantamweights
#14 BW | Jack Shore (16-0, 5-0 UFC) vs. #13 BW | Ricky Simon (19-3, 7-2 UFC)The bantamweight division remains the gift that keeps on giving. It seems like every card has an excellent bout between two rising talents, and this one is no exception. Simon has had an impressive climb on the 135-pound ladder, breaking through where others may have plateaued. Simon made his UFC debut in 2018 and rattled off three straight wins, mostly on the back of wild aggression. After he suffered two straight losses—a stunning knockout against Urijah Faber and a more prolonged beating against Rob Font—it seemed like Simon would be an excellent action fighter and nothing more. However, since the UFC’s pandemic break in 2020, Simon has retooled and looked much better in the process. He is still an absolute wildman at heart, but there is now some actual thought to when Simon picks and chooses his moments to strike, making him much less vulnerable and much more effective. Admittedly, Simon’s competition has not been the most dangerous during this run—Brian Kelleher has some exploitable holes in his game, and Raphael Assuncao appears to clearly be past his prime—but there is a much higher ceiling for the Washington native than previously thought heading into this pairing. Shore has been a pleasant surprise thus far, though the Welshman came to the UFC with a rightful amount of hype. For a fighter still in his mid-20s, Shore’s game stood out just for how well it was put together. Even going back to his UFC debut at age 24, “Tank” exhibited a solid process of allowing his striking to lead to the wrestling and grappling phases where Shore is at his best. The main worry for Shore was how he would hold up as an athlete—living up to his nickname, he is strong but can be slow at times—but so far, that has not been an issue. Hunter Azure and Timur Valiev each gave Shore some tough moments, but he gutted through both men and walked away with decision victories. This feels like where that ends, however. Simon appears to be the most effective wrestler Shore has faced in the UFC to date, and that figures to be the most crucial factor for the Welshman in a fight that should be full of head-on clashes. Even if Shore can outwrestle Simon, it seems unlikely that he can control this fight for long, at which point the American should have the advantage as the quicker and harder hitter who only seems to be improving. Shore has continued to overachieve, so it would not necessarily be a shock if he took this one, but it would be a particularly impressive bit of business. The pick is Simon via decision.
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