Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. In a post-Joe Silva style of matchmaking this December, a
man on a three-fight skid will be going up against an opponent
riding a three-fight win streak. MMA
DNA was the first to announce on Friday that Raphael
Assuncao (27-8) will square off against Ricky Simon
(18-3) at the UFC
Fight Night event on Dec. 18. This UFC Apex card in Las Vegas
does not currently have a headliner, although this and Amanda
Lemos vs. Nina Nunes at
strawweight are the highest ranked bouts on the card so far. The
matchup has since been confirmed by multiple outlets, as well as
Simon himself on his Instagram.
Assuncao will be looking to pick up his first victory in over three
years when he steps in the cage against Simon. A quick guillotine
choke defeat after a pair of brutal right hands from Marlon
Moraes put him on this current downslide he is on. A decision
loss to Cory
Sandhagen followed that, and his last performance came against
ex-champ Cody
Garbrandt. At UFC 250 in June 2020, Garbrandt iced Assuncao
with one punch to record a highlight-reel knockout, and Assuncao
has not competed since then. Bouts against Raoni
Barcelos in February and Kyler
Phillips in July fell through this year when Assuncao fell ill
from COVID-19 and then injured his bicep, respectively.
On the other hand, Simon has rattled off a trio of wins since his
decision defeat to Rob Font in
late 2019. A split verdict over Ray Borg led to
an appearance against short-notice replacement Gaetano
Pirrello, and he tapped Pirrello with an arm-triangle choke in
the second round. His one-sided victory over Brian
Kelleher – one that came at featherweight – put him on the
three-fight win streak he finds himself on today. Simon was once
considered as an opponent for Timur
Valiev, but that fell apart and Valiev intended on facing
Daniel
Gustavo Santos until Valiev had to withdraw from that as
well.
