Ricky Simon returns to the Octagon this August at UFC 227, facing late replacement Montel Jackson in a bantamweight division affair.
The bantamweight prospect has been handling the training camps a lot different than most fighters do, with half of a camp in Hawaii and the other half near his home.
“I’ve been doing that for the last year and a half now, with a half of a camp over there with Tyson Nam and the boys over at Hawaii Elite MMA. Then I come home and finish the camp at home and stay sharp with my coaches, its just been the recipe that has worked lately…so we’ll stick to it,” says Simon in an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Fightful.
Simon was initially supposed to face Benito Lopez at UFC 227, but Lopez was forced out of the fight due to injury.
Even though Simon has undergone a last minute opponent change, it hasn’t affected his preparations for UFC 227, which includes the weight cut.
“I’m feeling great, I feel strong. I can’t believe I have another month, everything felt so rushed in this last year…I had so many fights in the last year. It was rough and it was taking a toll on my body, getting that little bit of time to recover…to get my body to recuperate and to recover…it’s the best I have felt in a long time. I’m just excited to show the real me out there,” says Simon.
UFC 227 takes place on Saturday, August 4 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California with TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
