It’s the business of hurting. Especially when one steps into the cage opposite an equally well-trained, if not better, opponent, the risk of injury runs high. Having spent decades in the fight business, Dana White is well aware of the stakes involved. So, it must have been a particularly gruesome injury to make the UFC president share a few images on his Instagram story.

The injury, a deep cut on the chin, belonged to 33-year-old bantamweight fighter Ricky Simon. Competing on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 111, the Pendleton, Oregon-born BJJ black belt suffered his seventh career and sixth UFC loss at the Apex, where Brazil’s Raoni Barcelos secured a unanimous decision victory. Though the fight went the distance, it appears Simon paid a steeper price than he’d have liked.

Dana White reacts to brutal fighter injury

There were no words, just stark visuals. Four consecutive slides on Dana White‘s Instagram story showed the deep gash on Ricky Simon’s chin. Noted MMA reporter Damon Martin later shared the same images on X (formerly Twitter), where they quickly gained traction.

“Ricky Simon with a GNARLY cut under his chin, via Dana White’s IG, #UFCVegas111,” Martin wrote. The cut appeared right where the tissue meets the jawbone. Thankfully, the medical team managed to stop the bleeding and stitch the wound promptly.

The three-round bout at UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown went the full distance. Many expected Simon to extend his winning streak to 3–0, but it wasn’t to be his night. Interestingly, several outlets had listed him as the heavy favorite going in.

At the start, both Simon and his counterpart, Raoni Barcelos, looked equally invested in the fight. It took some time before it became clear who was gaining the upper hand.

Fast start, slow finish: How Ricky Simon was outworked by Raoni Barcelos

Using takedowns and top control, Simon dominated much of the opening round. Barcelos had his moments. But Simon’s pressure and groundwork gave him the edge. However, the tables turned in the second round. Barcelos came out busier, sharper, and more accurate, especially early on. Simon had a few good exchanges, but Barcelos dictated the pace and landed the cleaner shots.

In the final round, the Brazilian maintained full control of the fight’s pace, distance, and striking exchanges. Simon tried to wrestle early and throw power shots late but couldn’t shift the momentum.

Final result: 29–28, 29–28, 29–28 – all in favor of Raoni Barcelos.

As much as Ricky Simon now has to recover from the nasty cut, he’ll also need to take stock of his career after this latest setback. It’s been more than seven years since his UFC debut, and the journey has been one of ups and downs. Following his 2023 loss to Song Yadong, back-to-back defeats to Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira made 2024 a difficult year.

Simon started 2025 on a high note, handing Javid Basharat the first knockout loss of his career. A comfortable win over Cameron Smotherman followed at UFC on ESPN: Usman vs. Buckley. However, tonight’s loss to Barcelos could send Simon to the chopping block, with a 2-4 record in his last 6. We’ll have to wait and see what’s next for the American bantamweight.