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UFC Vegas 73 Full Card Preview, Odds, and Schedule
Written by: Devon Platana
Last Updated:
Read Time: 8 minutes
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A new week means more MMA action is incoming as UFC Vegas 73 is set to take place at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, May 20. It’s going to be an exciting night filled with some of the best combat sports stars in the world, meaning you won’t want to miss out on the action.
Dern vs Hill to Headline UFC Vegas 73
Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana were originally set to headline UFC Vegas 73. However, Aldana was pulled from the event as she’s now set to face Amanda Nunes for the women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 279.
The Apex will now be headlined by Mackenzie Dern facing ex-Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill this weekend. Dern enters the main event as the No. 8 fighter in the division while Hill is the No. 14-ranked strawweight, highlighting the importance of a victory Saturday night.
With so much to take in ahead of the festivities, Betting News is making your life easier. Here’s a look at the full UFC Vegas 73 card, complete with the latest betting odds and all of the event information that you need to know.
UFC Vegas 73 Event Details
When is UFC Vegas 73?
UFC Vegas 73 will take place on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
Where is UFC Vegas 73?
UFC Vegas 73 will take place at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What time does UFC Vegas 73 start?
- UFC Vegas 73 Preliminary Card Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Start Time of UFC Vegas 73’s Main Card: 7 p.m. ET
How can I watch UFC Vegas 73?
Both the UFC 79 preliminary and main cards can be viewed exclusively on ESPN+.
UFC Vegas 73 Main Card and Odds (Odds as of Tuesday, May 16)
The UFC Vegas 73 odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook.
UFC Vegas 73 Main Event: Mackenzie Dern (-186) vs. Angela Hill (+144)
Mackenzie Dern (12-3) heads into UFC Vegas 73 as the slim favorite in the main event. The accomplished submission grappler had a promising 6-1 start to her UFC career, but has struggled to maintain consistency lately.
Much to her dismay, Dern has gone 1-2 in her past three fights. She lost to Marina Rodriguez by unanimous decision in October 2021 only to beat Tecia Torres by split decision six months later. Unfortunately, Dern couldn’t build off the momentum that came with that victory, falling to Yan Xiaonan by majority decision at UFC Vegas 61.
Meanwhile, Angela Hill (15-12) had her fair share of doubters a few years ago. After all, the veteran fighter had gone 1-5 between May 2020 and May 2022. Many MMA enthusiasts thought her best days were behind her, but that might not be the case.
Hill has since won back-to-back outings following her unfortunate skid. Both of those victories came by unanimous decision, overcoming Lupita Godinez and Emily Ducote over a four-month span. The 38-year-old hasn’t held gold since her Invicta days, though, making it interesting to see if she can reverse her fortunes at the Apex.
UFC Vegas 73 Co-Main Event: Edmen Shahbazyan (+210) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-280)
This weekend’s co-main event pits Edmen Shahbazyan (12-3) head-to-head against Anthony Hernandez (10-2, 1NC).
Shahbazyan heads into UFC Vegas 73 following a TKO victory against Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC 282. Having said that, he was on a three-fight losing streak before that win, which included two knockout losses to Derek Brunson and Nassourdine Imavov.
Hernandez, meanwhile, brings a three-fight winning streak to the table. The former LFA Middleweight Champion notched a pair of those victories by submission, meaning he’s now submitted three of his past five opponents.
Catchweight (120 lbs): Emily Ducote (+118) vs. Lupita Godinez (-150)
Emily Ducote (12-7) and Lupita Godinez (9-3) look to prove themselves in catchweight action at the Apex.
After picking up a win over Jessica Penne in her UFC debut, Ducote fell to Angela Hill by unanimous decision in her most recent outing. The former Invicta FC Strawweight titleholder hasn’t lost consecutive fights in nearly five years, though, leaving time to tell if that trend continues once the dust settles.
Godinez, on the other hand, bounced back from her own loss to Hill with a split-decision win against Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 287. She’s now 4-2 as a strawweight in the UFC and desperately needs a victory if she hopes to continue ascending up the division rankings.
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (+164) vs. Joaquin Buckley (-215)
The odds aren’t in Andre Fialho’s (16-6, 1NC) favor as he prepares to face Joaquin Buckley (15-6) at UFC Vegas 73.
Despite showing promise early in his career, Fialho has tasted nothing but defeat recently. He’s been knocked out in each of his last two outings, most recently falling to Muslim Salikhov back in November.
Buckley can somewhat relate to Fialho’s slump. The 29-year-old veteran has also lost two fights in a row for the first time in his MMA career. He didn’t last too long in his latest fight as Chris Curtis knocked him out in Round 2 at UFC 282.
Lightweight: Hayisaer Maheshate (+132) vs. Viacheslav Borschev (-170)
Hayisaer Maheshate (9-2) and Viacheslav Borschev (6-3) aim to reverse their fortunes in Sin City this weekend.
Having opened his UFC career with two straight wins, Maheshate suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rafa Garcia to close out 2022. On the flip side, Borschev has been the loser in his two most recent outings. Both losses came by unanimous decision, meaning he has a lot to prove in the coming days.
Lightweight: Carlos Ferreira (-156) vs. Michael Johnson (+122)
A second lightweight bout on the main card sees Carlos Ferreira (17-5) colliding with Michael Johnson (21-18).
Despite being the favorite, luck hasn’t been on Ferreira’s side. The Brazilian competitor has tasted defeat in each of his last three outings. Even worse is the fact that he’s experienced second-round knockouts in the two most recent bouts.
Meanwhile, underdog Johnson has found himself standing tall twice in his past three outings. One win saw him knockout Alan Patrick at UFC Vegas 54 while the second saw him edge Marc Diakiese by points just over five months ago.
UFC Vegas 73 Preliminary Card
Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (-146) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (+114)
Strawweights Karolina Kowalkiewicz (14-7) and Vanessa Demopoulos (9-4) are set to headline the UFC Vegas 73 preliminary card.
After suffering five consecutive losses, Kowalkiewicz heads into the weekend following back-to-back wins over Felice Herrig and Silvana Gomez Juarez. She’ll have a tough test against Demopoulos, who’s coming off a unanimous decision victory against Maria Oliveira, marking her third consecutive win.
Welterweight: Orion Cosce (-140) vs. Gilbert Urbina (+110)
Orion Cosce (8-1) looks to continue the impressive start to his career when he takes on Gilbert Urbina (6-2) this weekend.
Cosce hasn’t fought since last July when he made his PPV debut, overcoming Mike Mathetha by points at UFC 277. On the other side, Urbina hopes for a positive result after being defeated by Bryan Battle (via submission) in his UFC debut nearly two years ago.
Heavyweight: Ilir Latifi (+152) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (-196)
Ilir Latifi (16-8, 1NC) and Rodrigo Nascimento (9-1, 1NC) are set for an exciting heavyweight bout at UFC Vegas 73.
Although he was struggling to find success just a few years ago, Latifi is back on track after picking up two straight wins by points. Meanwhile, Nascimento has his eyes on consecutive wins for the first time in over three years after edging out Tanner Boser by split decision in September.
Lightweight: Chase Hooper (+108) vs. Nick Fiore (-138)
Chase Hooper (11-3-1) and Nick Fiore (6-1) attempt to get back in the win column when they meet in the cage for lightweight action.
Hooper must find a way to prove himself after eating a first-round knockout loss to Steve Garcia at UFC Vegas 63. At the same time, Fiore has his sights set on victory after losing to Mateusz Rebecki (via unanimous decision) in his UFC debut.
Women’s Flyweight: Natalia Silva (-900) vs. Victoria Leonardo (+520)
Natalia Silva (14-5-1) is the massive favorite in her flyweight fight against Victoria Leonardo (9-4).
Silva has dominated the competition, bringing an eight-fight winning streak to the table. What’s even more impressive is that she finished all but one of those opponents (six by submission, one by TKO). Meanwhile, Leonardo rebounded from back-to-back TKO losses by going the distance and beating Mandy Bohm unanimously at UFC Fight Night 208.
Welterweight: Takashi Sato (-113) vs. Themba Gorimbo (-113)
One preliminary fight that could go either way is the welterweight showdown between Takashi Sato (15-6) and Themba Gorimbo (10-4).
Sato has lost each of his three outings and was finished twice, losing to Miguel Baeza by submission and Bryan Battle by KO. Gorimbo, on the other hand, must figure out how to turn things around after being submitted by A.J. Fletcher in his latest outing.
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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