UFC Vegas 72 Beforemath: What Simon needs to do to beat Yadong
Or does Song Yadong get another knockout
Isn’t bantamweight just the best? This weekend we have a top ten matchup and, while some top ten matchups are pretty “eh.” But when it comes to bantamweight, it’s bangers all the way down. The fight in question is a five rounder featuring Song Yadong and Ricky Simon.
Song is coming off of a loss to Cory Sandhagen, a fight where he largely came out with a good sense of accomplishment and fared better than others have against Sandhagen. Simon is riding five straight with some top notch wins consisting names like Merab Dvalishvili, Raphael Assuncao, and Jack Shore.
So today we’re diving into a really fun film study on Song vs. Simon. It is Aftermath and it’s time to have some fun!
Song Yadong: Heavy Hands Got Him Here
Song Yadong is a heavy hitter. He can crack heavy and change the fight at any point. After joining the UFC at 19, Yadong has torn through the bantamweight divisions with wins over Chito Vera and Marlon Moraes. He and Simon look to make a statement with a win.
Ricky Simon is a pretty complete fighter with an emphasis on wrestling. Having worked on his hands, Simon has become quite a threat on the feet. But his bread and butter has always been his wrestling. For this fight, Yadong will have to toe the line between avoiding clinches where he’s at risk of a takedown and being in the clinch where he can land some heavier shots.
When in the pocket with an opponent, Yadong can punish his opponents in the most devastating way. Against Marlon Moraes, the fight where Yadong “arrived” to most fans, he did just that. In our first figure, we see (1) Yadong and Moraes exchanging strikes. Yadong times the jab of Moraes and comes over the top of this with the right hand. You’ll notice Yadong slipped his head to the inside of Moraes’ jab which sets up the next strike: (2) the left uppercut. Moraes is off the center line here and it misses. Finally, (3) Song Yadong comes up the middle with a rear uppercut and Moraes goes down.
But should Yadong stay in the clinch for too long he will end up ran through for a takedown and in a very bad spot against Simon. Look for Yadong to not hang around in the clinch. If Yadong starts to get greedy, it could be a bad night as Simon can put the fight away on the ground at any moment.
Ricky Simon also drives a torrid pace when he fights. Yadong will need to work on ways of slowing him down. As we generally always discuss in Beforemath, low kicks and body work are important to slowing an opponent down. Yadong isn’t much of a kicker, but when he does kick, he’s efficient. Upping the volume against Simon might not be a bad idea and could slow down his relentless pursuit of offense.
Circling back to that fight with Marlon Moraes, we get to see a good example of how Yadong can, and does, go to the body. It’s one of those things he is good at. (1) To cover the distance, Yadong will have a giant step in and enter the pocket with Moraes. (2) He will then touch Moraes with the jab and that gets Moraes to bring his guard up. This exposes the mid section of Moraes, prime for a left hook. (3) Yadong sees this and lands to the body, a crushing blow. He then (4) tries to get a little greedy and work for a left hook which Moraes barely avoids. Notice here how Yadong is out of position with his left arm very extended and his hips square. Get in this position with Ricky Simon will only be an invitation for an inevitable takedown. He needs to avoid over extension at all costs.
The last figure I want to look at for Song Yadong is from the Cory Sandhagen loss. Here, we get to see Yadong pivot out and stay off the center line with his footwork. This will come in handy against Simon who will be looking for flat footed moments to get Yadong off his feet. With Sandhagen being so offensive, we see (1) an over pursuit from Sandhagen. Sandhagen (2) throws a left that Yadong dips under. He uses this position created to (3) pivot his right leg around and be presented with two options. With his right arm around the back of Sandhagen, he can reach down for the single leg takedown or throw a lead hook. (4) Yadong opts for the lead hook.
With Song Yadong reliant on the pocket to land his best shots, these types of pivots and body work to slow down Simon and stay out of the pocket for too long. If he does, it can be a rough night for him.
Lastly, Song Yadong needs to be patient. Yadong has only been scheduled in one five round fight in the UFC. That was the fourth round finish he suffered from Cory Sandhagen. But in that fight, he gave a good account of himself in that third and fourth fight. Simon has never been five either so Yadong will have the edge when it comes to the five round experience. He still should take it slow and turn up the heat as the fight goes on.
With a win, Song Yadong will reset after his loss to Sandhagen and continue his rise through the bantamweight division. But Simon is the man in front of him and if he has anything to say about it, that won’t be as easy.
Ricky Simon: Rise to the Occasion
This is Ricky Simon’s big chance at the top of the division. His first came in 2019 against Urijah Faber where he was finished in under a minute. He dropped his second straight against Rob Font who was on the rise. But since then, Simon has hit a stride and won five straight fights.
Ricky Simon is tough to hit. His head movement is one of the most fun aspects of his game. His head movement may put him in some situations that he’s not as able to strike as effectively in. But it’s all based on getting the takedown. Simon will box his way into the takedown, slipping and dipping his way around punches, and eventually get to a leg or hips of his opponents.
Against Rafael Assuncao, Simon put on a showcase of his head movement in a spectacular finish. The finishing sequence, as seen above, is a beautiful sequence of events that perfectly encapsulates Simon’s unpolished, but effective head movement. (1) Starting off, Simon slips a long jab of Assuncao. He slips to the inside but sees an opening for a strike. Seconds later, (2) he will slip to the outside of the jab instead. Notice he slips to his right and away from his opponent, loading up the right. (3) Surely enough, the right comes and lands clean, forcing Assuncao to shake off the blow to keep himself in the fight. Simon does his best Michael Jackson impression and shows Assuncao what a smooth criminal is like next. Still coming forward, (4) Simon dips under the right hook of Assuncao, (5) rocks away, and then (6) uses that momentum to hop back and exit the pocket.
This head movement, paired with Simon’s unpredictability and variety in slipping and dipping, will make it that much harder for Song Yadong to connect. Simon has been knocked out in the past by Faber. But since then he’s improved himself and become better from it. It’s apparent by his wins over Assuncao and Jack Shore that Simon is a completely different fighter now than in 2019.
But, as mentioned, Simon is looking to get the fight to the ground. It’s what he does best. Simon will often come forward and draw strikes out of his opponent and dip under, as seen with Assuncao earlier, to push his opponents back to the fence and get in on a leg or hip. This will almost positively be the gameplan against Yadong. Simon won’t want to risk it with the power of Yadong and will look for the takedown.
Getting to the legs has become easier as Simon has developed a good standup game that compliments his wrestling as well as creates offense. Against Jack Shore, we saw that in action. (1) Simon will throw a right and miss. Shore will want to respond with a power shot from his left side, where Simon is over extending at. Instead of continuing with the throw, (2) Simon dips down underneath the punch of Shore. Shore has made a mistake of over pursuing and is took close to Ricky Simon to protect himself. Simon will notice this and (3) grab the leg. He will eventually complete this takedown by driving through and to the fence.
Simon is not a big body puncher but he does consistently work the legs. With the low kick being the longest weapon, Simon will go there to land some shots and then continue his advancement. For his fight with Yadong, Simon will want to go to that well a bit more to damage the legs of Yadong and take some of that power away. Cory Sandhagen went 15 of 15 to the legs and with Yadong sitting down on his punches like he does, a low kick will be extra effective for Simon.
All in all, Ricky Simon has a big chance to make a name for himself. People are high on Yadong after his performance against Sandhagen and are pleasantly surprised to see his wins over Chito Vera and Marlon Moraes as well. But don’t forget that Simon has a win over Merab Dvalishvili in a fantastic fight for his UFC debut. He also has a win over Brian Kelleher and former title challenger Ray Borg. He’s no slouch either. This one will be a slobberknocker.