Mario Bautista vs Ricky Simon — Fight recap

Mario Bautista earned a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Simon across three rounds on January 13, 2024, at UFC Fight Night. Bautista's striking volume proved decisive, landing 112 significant strikes at 41% accuracy compared to Simon's 45 significant strikes, also at 41%.

The striking disparity lay in output—Bautista landed 76 head strikes and 31 body strikes, while Simon managed just 33 head strikes and 4 body strikes. Simon attempted to dictate pace with 2 of 13 takedown attempts (15% success) and accumulated 3:00 of control time, but Bautista's superior striking consistency and cage awareness throughout the three rounds swayed all three judges.

Bautista's performance suggests a rising threat in the bantamweight division, with potential next-step competition against ranked opposition.