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FIGHT ODDS

By the Numbers: Urijah Faber vs. Ricky Simon

Mark RaymundoJul 12, 2019


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Last seen in the Octagon outpointing Brad Pickett, Urijah Faber comes out of retirement to face the young and talented Ricky Simon at UFC Fight Night 155. As fans await Faber’s comeback, Simon will try his hand at top-level competition. Here are some numbers that just might define their upcoming encounter.

Age and overall experience

Urijah Faber, 40, has not fought since decisioning Brad Pickett on Dec. 17, 2016. That was his 34th victory in 44 professional fights. “The California Kid” started his career way back 2003 at a local promotion called Gladiator Challenge, where he held the bantamweight championship. After fighting for King of the Cage and a couple other promotions, he was signed by World Extreme Cagefighting and made his debut on Jan. 20, 2007.

With a huge fanbase and the WEC featherweight title on his waist, Faber later became the face of the promotion. He would later get dethroned by Mike Thomas Brown, however, and would lose a rematch as well. Faber would again try to recapture the title, but was infamously beaten by Jose Aldo. When Zuffa acquired the WEC, he made his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he fought for the bantamweight strap on four occasions, losing every time.

At 26, Simon is 14 years younger than Faber. When he made his pro debut on Jan. 18, 2014, Faber was preparing for his bantamweight title fight with Renan Barao. Simon also fought at KOTC and a bunch of other promotions and is now gunning for his 16th win in 17 bouts.

UFC appearances

Simon has been perfect since joining the UFC in 2018, debuting with a submission over Merab Dvalishvili. He followed it up with decision wins over Montel Jackson and Rani Yahya. Faber, on the other hand, is 10-6 in the UFC, with notable victories over Eddie Wineland, Brian Bowles and Michael McDonald.

Winning streak

As aforementioned, Simon has yet to taste defeat in the Octagon. His first and only loss traces back to March 4, 2016 when he was tapped out by Anderson dos Santos at the main event of Titan FC 37. Before the UFC, he picked up wins from various promotions like KOTC and Legion Fighting Alliance as well as Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series for a current eight-fight winning streak.

Faber, on the other hand, could make it two wins in a row against Simon. The 40-year-old lost twice in a row for the first time in his career before his retirement win over Pickett.

Finishing rate

Twenty-six of Faber’s 34 victories have come via stoppage, making for a 76 percent finishing rate. Seventeen of those wins were by submission while nine were by KO or TKO. Simon has a lower finishing rate at 46 percent. He holds five triumphs by KO or TKO and two by submission.

Career losses

Simon’s lone defeat came at the hands of dos Santos. Meanwhile, the more experienced Faber has suffered 10 losses as a pro. He bowed to Tyson Griffin at GC 42 - Summer Slam and to Aldo and Brown (twice) in the WEC. In the UFC, he was defeated by Dominick Cruz (twice), Barao (twice), Frankie Edgar and Jimmie Rivera.