It was about a year and half ago when I first heard the name Ricky Simon. At the time, Simon was a young pro starting out his career in mixed martial arts. Having gone undefeated as an amateur, he was fresh on the scene with a good bit of momentum on his side. Before too long, it seemed that every time I spoke to someone from Rose City Fight Club, they were quick to mention the promising young pro. From his coaches to his teammates, everyone had something good to say about Ricky Simon.
“If you miss Ricky Simon’s fight, you will never forgive yourself. This guy is headed for greatness. Write that name down so you don’t forget it.” – “Zombie” Mike Dubois
“Ricky is a great kid, he works hard all the time. He has the drive that it takes to be great in this sport.” – Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen
Having started wrestling at just 7 years old, Ricky Simon was already being groomed for a sport that he didn’t even know existed. It wasn’t long before he was popping VHS copies of old UFC events into the VCR and getting sucked into the world of mixed martial arts. He never thought he would get in the cage himself, but to the young wrestler, MMA was cool. As he grew up, the rich MMA scene in the Pacific Northwest continued to keep him interested in the sport; but it took the urging of a friend to get him into the gym.
“I actually decided to start training because one of my high school wrestling buddies, Jake Smith, was an amateur fighter at the time and he [asked] me to join his team. It is pretty cool that we both stuck with it and are doing well as pros.”
Simon is now widely considered one of the top prospects in Oregon, and with a 5-0 record, the time has come for him to take a step up in competition. This Thursday, August 6th, in Lemoore, California at Tachi Palace Fights 24, he will get the chance when he takes on Team Alpha Male fighter Paul Ruiz in a bantamweight scrap. Not only does Ruiz train with a great fight team, he is also a two-time Bellator MMA veteran, giving him a decided edge in big fight experience. Adding more pressure for Simon, Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) has long been a springboard to the UFC for lighter weight class fighters. Past TPF champions include Ian McCall, Michael McDonald, Joe Sotto, Eddie Yagin, and Willie Gates, just to name a few. A good showing in his promotional debut will be huge for Simon as he makes the leap from local standout to big show prospect. One might think all that would be enough to shake a young fighter’s confidence, but the stress doesn’t seem to be getting to Simon. I asked him how he felt going into this fight, and if he believed there was any added pressure being such a well-regarded prospect.
“I am really excited to be fighting for Tachi Palace Fights. This is definitely a step up in competition … I am excited that I have an opportunity to perform for a well-established organization … I do not feel any added pressure from being a top prospect. The only pressure I feel comes from wanting to perform well for my coaches and teammates.”
Simon added that he has been putting in a lot of time with his striking coach, Andy Minsker, and believes the strides he has made in that area are going to pay off big for him in this fight. It would appear that Simon is ready for the next phase of his career.
Being surrounded by such a great group of coaches and fighters has pushed Simon to become the fighter he is today, and because of this he has earned the respect of his team.
Today, as Simon is cutting weight and dreaming of pizza, he isn’t alone. He has with him a team that saw the talent in him from the start. As he makes the journey to Lemoore and sets foot in the cage this Thursday night, he will bring along the support of a team that believes greatness is the next step for Ricky Simon.
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