Undefeated Welsh phenom Jack Shore will get his first taste of ranked competition this summer when he takes on Ricky Simon.
Shore (16-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is expected to meet Simon (19-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a bantamweight matchup at UFC Fight Night on July 16. A location and venue have not been announced for the card, but it is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
MMA Junkie verified the matchup with a person close to the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, after Simon announced the pairing on social media. Cageside Press was first to report.
Shore, No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, has yet to be figured out through 16 professional fights and five under the FC banner. He’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Timur Valiev in March.
No. 12-ranked Simon will look to give Shore his first career setback. The 29-year-old is currently on his most impressive career run, as he’s put together victories over Raphael Assuncao, Brian Kelleher and Ray Borg during a current four-fight winning streak.
The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on July 16 includes:
- Askar Askarov vs. Alex Perez
- Amanda Lemos vs. Michelle Waterson
- Jack Shore vs. Ricky Simon
- Li Jingliang vs. Muslim Salikhov
- Bill Algeo vs. Billy Quarantillo
- Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Puna Soriano
- Khusein Askhabov vs. Herbert Burns
- Brianna Fortino vs. Jessica Penne
