Ricky Simon's Homecoming

“I definitely try to stay positive, but I let it bug me a little bit, because I want to feel that extra a little bit of pain when I'm running hill sprints or sparring the extra rounds; it's just extra motivation for me,” Simon said. “I still feel plenty confident, and I think that comes from my training, so it's easy to stay positive when you're confident in training.”

Simon’s fight with Basharat was one of the final few to come through when building out the UFC’s return to Seattle, but that didn’t stop the 32-year-old from training and being ready. He spent some time enjoying his Christmas and the holiday season, but right after, he was back into training, but he had all the confidence in the world that they would call on the kid from Vancouver, Washington to compete on this card. 

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Now, he has a big test against Basharat, who is coming off a no contest and a unanimous decision loss in his last two fights. Prior to those fights, Basharat was undefeated in the Octagon, picking up wins over Trevin Jones, Tony Gravely and Mateus Mendonça. 

Saturday’s matchup is a big opportunity for both men to get things back on track and kick start their 2025 campaign, and it’s a chance for another display to show the depth at 135 pounds.