'LokDog' Vinicius Oliveira gets Ricky Simon in first fight since UFC Knockout of the Year candidate

Vinicius Oliveira pulled off an all-time knockout in his UFC debut and the performance has earned him a big-name opponent for his second promotional outing.

“LokDog” will take on Ricky Simon in a three-round bantamweight bout at UFC 303, the promotion’s June 29 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the news.

Oliveira (20-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) bludgeoned fellow debutant Bernardo Sopaj with a flying knee in March. The win was his third in a row and first since he brutally knocked out Victor Madrigal on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC deal. Since his promotional debut, Oliveira has repeatedly called for a fight vs. top contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

Simon (20-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) aims to snap a two-fight losing skid after defeats to Song Yadong and Mario Bautista. Prior to the consecutive losses, Simon was on a five-fight winning streak that included victories over Raphael Assuncao and Jack Shore among others.

With the addition, the UFC 303 lineup currently includes:

• Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
• Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree
• Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
• Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
• Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya
• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer
• Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
• Vinicius Oliveira vs. Ricky Simon

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.