It’s not the main event originally planned, but there’s certainly a fun five-round scrap atop UFC Vegas 72 this Saturday.
In the wake of Arman Tsarukyan vs. Renato Moicano falling through due to a knee injury sustained by the latter, bantamweights Song Yadong and Ricky Simon get their chance to shine. Originally the co-main event a week ago, instead Song vs. Simon gets the five-round treatment, shifted to save an otherwise underwhelming Fight Night card at the Apex.
Song Yadong enters the fight off a TKO loss to Cory Sandhagen last September, a fight stopped due to a nasty gash that opened up on the Chinese bantamweight. Simon meanwhile has been surging, and has won five straight — but hasn’t competed since becoming the first man to beat (and stop) top Welsh prospect Jack Shore.
A couple of debuting fighters to watch out for on the UFC Vegas 72 card: after two years in limbo due to visa issues, Fernando Padilla, a former LFA champ, debuts in a tough featherweight match-up with Julian Erosa. And Canadian Jamey-Lyn Horth, who struggled for ages to get fights on the regional scene, joins the big show in a preliminary card bout with Hailey Cowan.
UFC Vegas 72 takes place Saturday, April 29 at the Apex; weigh-ins go down Friday morning. Full results can be found below.
Two fighters who weighed in within the first 10 minutes of Friday’s weigh-in window came in heavy: Hailey Cowan (137.5) and Irina Alekseeva (140). Both were scheduled for bantamweight fights.
UFC Vegas 72: Song vs. Simon Weigh-In Results
Main Card
Bantamweight: Song Yadong (136) vs. Ricky Simon (136)
Middleweight: Caio Borralho (185.5) vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk (185.5)
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira (186) vs. Cody Brundage (185.5)
Featherweight: Julian Erosa (145.5) vs. Fernando Padilla (145.5)
Heavyweight: Marcos Rogério de Lima (262.5) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (258)
Welterweight: Joshua Quinlan (169) vs. Trey Waters (171)
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight: Martin Buday (265) vs. Jake Collier (265.5)
Flyweight: Cody Durden (126) vs. Charles Johnson (125.5)
Women’s Bantamweight: Stephanie Egger (135) vs. Irina Alekseeva (140)**
Catchweight (140lb): Journey Newson (138.5) vs. Marcus McGhee (140)
Women’s Bantamweight: Hailey Cowan (137.5)* vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (135.5)
* Cowan misses weight by 1.5lbs for her bantamweight fight with Jamey-Lyn Horth
** Irina Alekseeva misses weight by 4lbs for her bantamweight fight with Stephanie Egger
