After Ricky Simon lost to Urijah Faber at UFC on ESPN+ 13, he was nothing short of devastated.
A near four-to-one betting favorite entering the fight, Simon (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was finished by the UFC Hall of Famer due to strikes 46 seconds into the opening round of their July bout. Initially demoralized, Simon was reminded of why he hates MMA. And also, why he loves it.
“I was heartbroken,” Simon told MMA Junkie. “I set very high standards for myself and it just sucks when you put in so much work and you really think something is going to go a certain way. That’s why I hate and love the sport. It wouldn’t be so much fun if it you didn’t get the pit in your stomach realizing something like that can happen.
“I’m thankful for the experience, but losses always suck. We train our asses off, so when it doesn’t go your way, it definitely is a tough pill to swallow.”
Simon has come to terms with the Faber loss – so much so, he can joke about it. He has been able to find humor within the finish, and in particular, what transpired just prior.
“I talk a lot when I fight,” Simon said. “Nothing too disrespectful or anything, but I like to talk. I was talking to Urijah in there a little bit and I even – this is the best part. I see him loading up on the right hand, so I told him, ‘Oh, here comes the Urijah Faber overhand right.’ Then he circled and I circled right into it. I think I was just a little too excited and he landed a great shot.”
On Dec. 7, Simon returns to the cage when he takes on fellow ranked bantamweight Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 7. If fight fans are writing him off, Simon said he’s ready to provide a “Y’all must have forgot” moment.
“It’s crazy, I was a pretty heavy favorite over Urijah Faber and I had a lot of hype going into that last fight,” Simon said. “But MMA fans are forgetful. They’ll jump off real quick, so let me remind them. Let me remind them Dec. 7 against Rob Font. I’ll let them know I belong here.
“Things happen, but I’m going to keep doing what I do, train my ass off and beat people up when it comes time to.”
A fight against Font (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is one Simon has been requesting for almost a year. In February, Simon called for a fight against Font, which never materialized. Instead, the two fighters were booked in divergent directions. Ten months later, they’ll meet with the same stakes, at least according to Simon.
“He had some fights that fell out and then I got the Faber fight,” Simon said. “This is a fight that was supposed to happen a little earlier on. He’s in a great spot. He’s number 10.
“I set a goal for myself to hit top 10 this year. Even with the bump in the road last July, I’m going to be on track to hit that in 2019.”
UFC on ESPN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN after prelims on ESPN+.
A love-hate relationship: Ricky Simon reminded of MMA's emotional conflicts entering UFC on ESPN 7
