UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber is set to return to the Octagon this Saturday when he takes on Ricky Simon at UFC Sacramento. This bout will be Faber’s first since he retired in 2016.
Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions. Although the 26-year-old in Simon is a -340 favorite, compared to Faber who is a +260 underdog, many are leaning towards the Hall of Famer getting it done.
Here’s what they had to say:
BJPENN.com Fighter Picks: Urijah Faber vs. Ricky Simon
Josh Emmett, UFC featherweight: Of course I am going with Faber. It is a tough fight, Ricky Simon is very good and will be in his face pressuring him, but Urijah is a game opponent and has that experience and has beaten some of the top guys in the sport. Faber’s experience will play a big factor as he has much more Octagon time and he may overwhelm Simon as Faber is dangerous everywhere. I think Faber can finish this fight anywhere.
Ryan Hall, UFC featherweight: That is a tough one. Simon is tough, and Faber is a legend of the sport. He has a huge amount of experience and he has only really lost to the top-five guys at bantamweight. So, I think Faber gets it done. He has taken good care of himself and I’m going with my heart with Faber, but it is difficult to say as you don’t know how he looks after two and a half years off.
Beneil Dariush, UFC lightweight: It is tough. I don’t know where Urijah is at physically and Simon is pretty tough. It is a toss-up but I think Faber gets it done.
Mirsad Bektic, UFC featherweight: I think Urijah Faber gets it done. He is a legend and he seems like he still has the skill to compete.
Sam Alvey, UFC light heavyweight: Ricky Simon is tough and it will be a hard fight for Faber to come back to. Look, it is hard for fighters to come out of retirement. It gets so easy to not work out every day and start getting back into a fight camp is hard. He isn’t going to be as good as he was, so Simon wins this fight.
Damien Brown, RIZIN FF lightweight: I’m not overly keen to see Faber return. Before he retired he seemed to still have it as far as skill, speed goes but not the risk factor. He wouldn’t get in the fight but technically sit on the outside. I think Simon brings the fight to him. But, I think Faber wins the fight. He was never done so to speak when he retired. And he was still very competitive and trains all the time.
Chance Rencountre, UFC welterweight: I don’t know a whole lot about Simon. Urijah is good, but come on, there is a time you retire and he should have stayed retired. From what I can tell, Simon looks like a beast so I think he will win.
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Fighters picking Urijah Faber: Josh Emmett, Ryan Hall, Beneil Dariush, Mirsad Bektic, Damien Brown
Fighters picking Ricky Simon: Sam Alvey, Chance Rencountre
Who do you think will win the fight between Urijah Faber and Ricky Simon at UFC Sacramento? Let us know in the comment section.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/11/2019.