Ricky Simon says he plans to make the most of his first career headlining opportunity Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon when he faces fellow rising bantamweight Yadong Song. Their five-round battle will close the curtain on the main UFC fight card (7 p.m. ET) from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. The No. 10-ranked Simon has fallen out of public view in large part because he fought just once last year. But the heralded prospect, who has a five-fight winning streak, plans to solidify his position as a potential title contender with a showcase victory Saturday. The No. 8-ranked Song, who has won three of four, has his own sights set on a top-five ranking should he earn the victory.
Simon is a -115 favorite (risk $115 to win $100), while Song is priced at -105 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The co-main event showcases middleweight prospects as Caio Borralho (-365) battles Michal Oleksiejczuk (+285). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly analytical UFC bettor who profited more than $6,200 for $100 bettors in 2022. This includes a documented 24-14 record on his well-respected, two-leg parlays. Every pick was documented on his public Instagram account.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances.
In his SportsLine debut at UFC 283 in January, Vithlani swept the main card and his 5-0 mark included advising SportsLine members to back Jamahal Hill (-125) against Glover Teixeira (+105) for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon approaching, Vithlani has scoured the card top to bottom for value and released his top MMA picks. Vithlani's UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon preview
Both Song and Simon have had stretches in which they were considered arguably the bantamweight division's hottest prospect. As it stands now, Saturday's main event is among the most intriguing non-title bantamweight matchups that could be made.
Simon (20-3) made his UFC debut in April 2018 to some fanfare following a run in the Legacy Fighting Alliance that saw him become the promotion's bantamweight champion. He won by submission against Merab Dvalishvili, who hasn't lost since and is now the division's top-ranked contender behind a nine-fight winning streak.
Simon won his first three UFC outings but saw his momentum halted by an upset loss to veteran Uriah Faber and another to veteran contender Rob Font. But the 30-year-old Oregon native has since ripped off five consecutive victories and earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his second-round submission of Jack Shore last July, his lone performance in 2022.
Song (19-7-1) went 5-0-1 in his first six UFC fights and quickly gained a reputation for action-packed fights and a relentless disposition in the cage. The 25-year-old Chinese fighter had won three straight before dropping his headlining debut last September to Cory Sandhagen, who is now ranked No. 3.
The winner of Saturday's main event won't see a title shot anytime soon because of the logjam at the top. Champion Aljamain Sterling will defend his belt against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 next month and there will be a long line of candidates to face the winner. They include Dvalishvili, Sandhagen and Sean O'Malley. But either Song or Simon will likely get a top-five opponent in his next fight and could be headed toward a title eliminator. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Vithlani's top UFC Fight Night selections here: He is going with Rodolfo Viera (-260) to get his hand raised against Cody Brundage (+210) in a showdown of middleweight contenders.
Brundage (8-3) is an alum of "Dana White's Contender Series" who has shown a versatile arsenal while splitting his first four fights with the promotion. The 28-year-old Michigan native saw a two-fight winning streak come to a halt with a stoppage loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk last December.
Vieira (8-2) is a grappling ace who has seen seven of his eight professional MMA victories come by submission. The 33-year-old Brazilian fighter has similarly split his first four UFC outings and is looking to bounce back from a decision loss against veteran slugger Chris Curtis last June.
"Vieira prides himself on his ability to submit grapplers. He has solid takedowns and can initiate offensive grappling. If he is taken down by Brundage, he can still be dangerous off his back with armbar and kimura submission attempts," Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani also has strong picks for Song vs. Simon and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "has a great all-around MMA game" to emerge with a dominant victory. Vithlani's picks and MMA analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks and best bets here.
Yadong Song (-105) vs. Ricky Simon (-115)
Caio Borralho (-365) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+285)
Rodolfo Vieira (-260) vs. Cody Brundage (+210)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima (-170) vs. Waldo Acosta (+145)
Natan Levy (-240) vs. Pete Rodriguez (+200)
Jake Collier (-115) vs. Martin Buday (-105)
Charles Johnson (-150) vs. Cody Durden (+125)
Julian Erosa (-170) vs. Fernando Padilla (+145)
Stephanie Egger (-320) vs. Irina Alekseeva (+250)
Brian Kelleher (-150) vs. Journey Newson (+125)
