UFC Fight Night 223: Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon 4/29/23 Odds, Best Picks and Analysis

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon 4/29/23 – Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon was initially set for this past weekend’s event; however, due to scheduling conflicts it will now headline UFC Fight Night 223. As both fighters are young and ambitious, this should prove to be an exciting fight to watch. This fight has the potential to lift the winner to a whole new level. Ricky Simon is the favorite here to win this fight according to the UFC betting tips by the experts.

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon

Date & Time: Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET

Location: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV

TV: ESPN+

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon 4/29/23 Betting Odds

Yadong

Moneyline: -104

Simon

Moneyline: -116

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon Analysis

Song “Kung Fu Kid” Yadong hopes to add another win to his 19-7-1 (1 NC) record. At 25 years old and 5’8″, this orthodox fighter extends his reach 67 inches. Yadong connects on 41% of his significant strikes he attempts. Defensively in the cage, Yadong takes 3.93 significant strikes per minute while successfully defending 59% of significant strikes his opponents attempt. Song Yadong suffered his most recent defeat against Cory Sandhagen via TKO via doctor’s stoppage in round 4. Sandhagen completed this fight by landing 130 out of 259 total strikes he attempted. Yadong then finished by landing 130 of 244 total strikes thrown. In a significant strike, Sandhagen managed to score 94 significant hits out of 222, representing 42%. which gave him a rate of 42%. Yadong managed to land 62 of 186 significant strikes aimed at his opponent’s head. Additionally, 37% of Yadong’s significant strikes landed by making 54 hits out of 145. Sandhagen connected on 36 of 125 significant strikes to the head;  91% of the significant strikes connected on by Sandhagen and 81% of them connected on by Yadong were thrown at distance.

Ricky Simon stands 5’6″, weighs in at 135 lbs, and stands on the scale at 5’6”. A 30 year old orthodox fighter enters the Octagon with an impressive 20-3-0 record and measures 69.5″. Ricky Simon landed 3.04 significant strikes per minute. Regarding his cage defense, Simon earned 2.95. Simon can deflect 64% of shots thrown his way. Ricky Simon made his last Octagon appearance against Jack Shore and scored the win with an arm triangle submission victory in round 2. Jack Shore connected on 89% of his significant strikes at distance while Simon only landed 72%. Ricky Simon managed to hit on 65% of his significant strikes attempted, landing 25 out of 38 of them. He eventually managed to land 13 of 25 significant strikes to Shore’s head, connecting on 19 out of 44 strikes of significant power during their fight. As for his strikes directed at the head, he managed to land 15 out of 40 direct hits on target. Shore was successful at landing 27 of 52 of all his strikes that he launched; while Simon managed 46 out of 59. 

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon Stats

Song Yadong vs Ricky Simon Free Pick

This should be an unforgettable fight, one which could last until the very last bell. Both fighters should trade punches and kicks with one another while potentially landing some takedowns as well. However, Song Yadong does not appear to be as efficient of a grappler, scoring takedowns only 0.63 times per three rounds while Simon has taken his opponents down with 52% of his takedown attempts and successfully defended 75% of those made against him. Yadong is less skilled at going for subs, with an attempt rate of only 0.2 subs per 15 min, compared to Simon who attempts 0.5 subs per 15 minutes. Ricky Simon will be winning this fight as per the UFC online trends.

Free Pick: Ricky Simon -116