Bantamweight star Urijah Faber (34-10, 9 KOs, 17 SUBs) will come out of retirement to face Ricky Simon (15-1, 5 KOs, 2 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN+ 13 on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The card airs live on ESPN+ starting 8pm ET.
Nearly three years after hanging up the gloves, Urijah Faber is returning to the octagon. You can thank a UFC event in his hometown of Sacramento for the reappearance of “The California Kid.” The former WEC champ, TUF head coach and one of the biggest lighter weight stars of his era, Faber started the prestigious Team Alpha Male in California’s capital, creating a hotbed of MMA for the city.
Faber last fought in December 2016, scoring a decision win over Brad Pickett. Prior to that, he lost back-to-back lopsided decisions to Dominick Cruz and Jimmie Rivera. The losses were a clear signal that the longtime title contender was well past his prime - despite having the goods to remain in the upper echelon of the sport.
The UFC is not giving the Team Alpha Male captain a gimme fight in his hometown: Ricky Simon comes into the matchup on an 8-fight win streak, a run that includes all three UFC appearances. Just 26 years old, Simon is nearly 15 years younger than his opponent.
This is an interesting matchup, though Simon is rightfully a clear favorite. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at the online sportsbook and break down your best betting options. Live UFC betting is also available to hedge your bets between rounds on fight night.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ricky Simon -315
Urijah Faber +235
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -245 / +175
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Faber 2.66 / Simon 2.51
Accuracy: Faber 2.51 / Simon 4.13
Absorbed per minute: Faber 2.51 / Simon 4.13
Defense: Faber 65% / Simon 69%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Faber 1.59 / Simon 4.33
Takedown accuracy: Faber 31% / Simon 40%
Takedown defense: Faber 60% / Simon 73%
Submission average: Faber 0.88 / Simon 0.33
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Toward the end of Faber’s career, he became a springboard of sorts for young, promising fighters to elevate their career. Faber was, and still is, one of the more recognizable names in the sport - and a tough-but-winnable matchup for a lot of prospects. So while we can’t just label him a sacrificial lamb for Simon, it makes sense that the online sportsbook opened with Faber as nearly a 2-1 underdog.
Simon is an all-action fighter, so combined with Faber’s frenetic movement this should be a fun, twitchy fight. One thing to note that Merab Dvalishvili was able to swarm Simon before getting caught in a guillotine, and Faber’s constant pressure could do the same. However, the longer the fight stays on the feet, the more the fight should swing in Simon’s favor, as his relentless gas tank and non-stop 100% power strikes will be a lot for a 40-year old who hasn’t fought in three years.
To be honest, we think this fight will be a lot more competitive than the odds suggest. While it’s true that Faber hasn’t fought in three years, how much will ring rust be a factor for somebody with so much experience? Conversely, you could look at the time off as an extended healing period for a fighter with so many miles on the odometer.
UFC Odds Pick: Simon to win at -315
UFC Odds Pick: Fight goes to decision -245
We see two clear picks here. As much as we want to see Faber win the comeback fight in his hometown, we just don’t see him holding up against the younger, faster and more aggressive Simon. But let’s give credit to Faber - in 44 pro fights he’s only been finished three times. Though he might not have the gears to hang with Simon, he’s got the experience and chin to last until the scorecards.
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