Streaking bantamweight veterans clash in the main card of UFC Fight Night 264 this Saturday at the UFC Apex. American Ricky Simon has racked up two wins in 2025 already, while Brazil's Raoni Barcelos has won three consecutive fights, including two of his fights this year. Simon dropped out of the rankings following a series of losses last year, but is poised to make a big leap forward by the end of this year. The bookies think so and have installed him as the favorite to beat Barcelos, who stopped a former bantamweight champion last time out.
Bet on Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos with Bet365
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Fight Details
- Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
- Time: 17:40 ET
- Venue: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Where to Watch Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Live on TV & Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Stream |
|---|---|
| UK | TNT Sports, Discovery+ |
| US | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sportsnet, TVA |
| Nigeria | Supersport, DSTV Stream |
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Fight Preview
Ricky Simon: form and statistics
Ricky Simon rebounded from three straight losses by stopping Javid Basharat with a first-round KO in February, before beating Cameron Smotherman in June. He had previously lost to ranked fighters Song Yadong, Mario Bautista, and Vinicius Oliveira, dropping out of the rankings as a result. A former LFA bantamweight champion, the 33-year-old had won five consecutive fights before the 3-fight slide.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 33
- Height: 5'6"
- Reach: 69"
- Weight: 135 lbs (61kg)
- Record: 22-6
Raoni Barcelos: form and statistics
Former five-time Brazilian national wrestling Champion, Raoni Barcelos, arrives in the Octagon with two decision wins in 2025. The veteran is on a three-fight win streak overall, having submitted Cristian Quinonez in his sole 2024 appearance. Before the winning run, the 38-year-old wrestler and BJJ stylist had lost a pair of fights against Kyler Phillips and Umar Nurmagomedov, with the number one bantamweight contender Nurmagomedov stopping Barcelos with a first-round KO. Last June, Raoni Barcelos beat former UFC bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt. He is 9-4 in the UFC.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 38
- Height: 5'7"
- Reach: 67"
- Weight: 135 lbs (61kg)
- Record: 20-5
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Fight Prediction
This fight will be a battle of two grapplers, with Ricky Simon known for his relentless forward takedown pressure. Raoni Barcelos, a former Brazilian national wrestling champ, should be able to easily ward off the takedown attempts; however, Simon will keep coming and coming. Barcelos is a decent striker and will attempt to get shots in as well, although we think the fight will happen mostly on the mat, with the fighter who has more control time winning at the end. We think the younger, fresher man, Ricky Simon, will be the winner by decision.
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos Betting Odds
| Bookmakers | Ricky Simon by decision | Over 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | 2.25 | 1.40 |
| 1xBet | 2.3 | 1.47 |
| Betway | 2.15 | 1.29 |
