Montel Jackson vs Ricky Simon — Fight recap

Ricky Simon defeated Montel Jackson by unanimous decision after three rounds on August 4, 2018, with referee Frank Trigg officiating. Despite Jackson's perfect takedown efficiency—converting both of his two attempts—Simon controlled the fight through superior grappling, landing seven takedowns on 20 attempts while maintaining 5:35 of control time compared to Jackson's 0:45.

Simon's striking output proved more consistent, landing 25 of 53 significant strikes at 47% accuracy, while Jackson managed 42 of 94 at 44%, suggesting Simon's clinch work and positional dominance disrupted Jackson's offensive rhythm. Jackson's wrestling credentials were evident in his execution, but Simon's ability to neutralize the threat and dictate pace on the canvas proved decisive across all three rounds.

The result positioned Simon as a rising prospect in the bantamweight division while highlighting Jackson's need to improve his striking volume and defensive grappling.