Montel Jackson – Ricky Simon

Fighters' momentum

UFC bout confirmed at bantamweight on 26 September 2026, scheduled for three five-minute rounds. No replacement or format change had been confirmed as of 21 September.

The 22:00 UTC time concerns the provided start of the event and does not establish the exact time of this bout. The official weigh-in, current preparation, and medical status remain unknown.

Jackson's historical statistics indicate, among other figures, 3.09 significant strikes landed per minute, 52% accuracy, 61% striking défense, and 67% takedown défense, according to une source spécialisée. These figures do not necessarily describe his current form.

The provider context measured on 19 September, across two fights for Jackson and three for Simon, is explicitly flagged as not current and too limited to establish a recent trend.

Head-to-head

The two fighters have already faced each other on August 4, 2018, at UFC 227. Ricky Simon won by unanimous decision after winning all three rounds according to the Los Angeles Times, with repeated takedowns, clinch work, taking the back, and prolonged control.

The historical statistics reported for this matchup indicate 7 successful takedowns out of 8 attempts for Simon, compared with 2 out of 7 for Jackson. The fight went the full three rounds.

This direct rematch clearly documents a past tactical advantage for Simon, but the figures date from 2018 and do not prove that the same sequences will recur in 2026.

Preparation and physical condition

No current injury, medical restriction, or problematic weight cut was publicly and directly confirmed for Jackson or Simon as of September 21, 2026. The official weigh-in had not yet taken place.

Simon’s recent period of inactivity remains less clearly established by an open official source. A public source likely indicates that Jackson fought Raoni Barcelos in April 2026, but the date and result are not sufficiently accessible to be treated as fully confirmed here.

Context & news

Jackson will probably look to maintain distance, exploit his 75-inch reach, and punish level changes with straight punches, kicks, and counters. His main obstacle is pressure toward the cage: in 2018, Simon repeatedly shot for entries, secured control, and took Jackson’s back despite Jackson’s takedowns.

Simon will probably look to reproduce the pressure, wrestling entries, clinch work, and positional control to win a decision; his obstacle is closing the distance without being exposed to counters. Contradictory scenario favorable to Jackson: his long-range strikes neutralize the entries and turn the fight into a stand-up duel.

Contradictory scenario favorable to Simon: he converts enough entries to impose the cage and accumulate control over all three rounds. No sufficiently documented recent five-round experience is available, and the scheduled duration is three rounds.

Matchup and opponent

Confirmed individual bout between Montel Jackson and Ricky Simon at UFC, in bantamweight, over three five-minute rounds. No replacement or format change had been confirmed as of September 21, 2026.

The official weigh-in had not yet taken place, and no weigh-in weight can be confirmed. Jackson accepted the 2018 fight on short notice, a historical fact with no demonstrated bearing on his preparation for 2026.