UFC Vegas 73 Preliminary Card, Prediction and Best Bets: Where’s the Best Early Value?

UFC Vegas 73 is just over 48 hours away as some of the MMA world’s biggest names take over the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card is absolutely stacked with a thrilling main event bout, however, that isn’t to say that the preliminary card isn’t worth watching.

Coming to make a statement Saturday!@AngieOverkill's ready for Mackenzie Dern at #UFCVegas73! pic.twitter.com/rIxnciaKaD

— UFC (@ufc) May 18, 2023

Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the latest odds for all of UFC Vegas 73’s preliminary and early prelims fights, along with our prediction for each matchup.

UFC Vegas 73 Preliminary Card & Odds (Odds as of Thursday, May 18)

The UFC Vegas 73 odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook.

Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (-142) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (+116)

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (14-7) has been trending upward since breaking out of a five-fight losing streak. She’s since picked up back-to-back wins, defeating Felice Herrig and Silvana Gomez Juarez by submission and unanimous decision, respectively. Meanwhile, Vanessa Demopoulos has rattled off three consecutive victories, most recently defeating Maria Oliveira unanimously at UFC Vegas 65.

Although this should be competitive, I’m siding with Kowalkiewicz. For starters, she has a five-inch reach advantage. Furthermore, she averages more significant strikes per minute (5.34 vs. 3.51) and has better striking defense (57% vs. 44%) than Demopoulos.

Considering how Kowalkiewicz gets most of her work done by going the distance, I see that being the case here, too.

Best Bet: Karolina Kowalkiewicz to Win by Points (+115)

Welterweight: Orion Cosce (-115) vs. Gilbert Urbina (-105)

Orion Cosce (8-1) may have been knocked out by Philip Rowe in his second-ever UFC fight, but he bounced back valiantly with a unanimous decision win over Mike Mathetha at UFC 277. He looks to keep his momentum going against Gilbert Urbina, who’s scrambling to rebound following his submission defeat at the hands of Bryan Battle nearly two years ago.

Orion Cosce (@GalaxyCosceMMA) is running on all cylinders heading into his clash with Gilbert Urbina at #UFCVegas73.

"I feel like I'm back to the healthy Orion Cosce that everyone got to see on the Contender Series"

? https://t.co/LymKVCiSiw pic.twitter.com/ZhSzDMRsDY

— Hyon Ko (@KoreanJohn_) May 17, 2023

Although Urbina has the physical advantage, I’m siding with Cosce at UFC Vegas 73. For starters, Urbina eats 6.34 significant strikes per minute and now must face an opponent who’s knocked out six of his first eight MMA opponents. The 27-year-old also hasn’t fought since August 2021, making it even harder to like his odds of survival.

Somehow, someway, Cosce will finish Urbina on Saturday.

Best Bet: Orion Cosce to Win by KO/TKO or Submission (+195)

Heavyweight: Ilir Latifi (+154) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (-192)

Ilir Latifi (16-8, 1NC) heads into UFC Vegas 73 having won his last two fights, defeating Tanner Boser and Aleksei Oleinik by points. Meanwhile, after having a victory ruled a no-contest due to a positive ritalinic acid test, Rodrigo Nascimento (9-1, 1NC) defeated Boser by split decision in his latest fight.

I’d be surprised if Nascimento doesn’t win Saturday night. Latifi just hasn’t looked that impressive. Sure, he’s picked up back-to-back victories, but Boser isn't anything special while Oleinik was 45 years old at the time of their fight. Considering how Latifi tends to lose by either knockout or points, I won’t be shocked if that’s how he gets the job done.

Best Bet: Rodrigo Nascimento to Win by KO/TKO or Points (-135)

Lightweight: Chase Hooper (+110) vs. Nick Fiore (-134)

Chase Hooper (11-3-1) is the underdog in this lightweight tilt as he looks to rebound from a TKO loss to Steve Garcia in October. At the same time, Nick Fiore (6-1) is hungry for revenge after losing to Mateusz Rebecki by unanimous decision in his first-ever UFC fight.

Although the odds are on Fiore’s side, I see Hooper landing the upset win. One of the reasons why Fiore lost his debut was that Rebecki took him down three times. Now, he must face Hooper, who averages 1.56 takedowns and 2.3 submissions per 15 minutes.

Casting a wider net in a potential upset, let’s go with Hooper using his grappling skills to help him win by either submission or points.

Best Bet: Chase Hooper to Win by Submission or Points (+160)

Women’s Flyweight: Natalia Silva (-1050) vs. Victoria Leonardo (+630)

A TKO win over Tereza Bleda back in November extended Natalia Silva’s (14-5-1) winning streak to eight consecutive fights. Now she gets to face Victoria Leonardo (9-4), who enters the weekend following a unanimous decision victory against Mandy Bohm.

It’s not hard to side with Silva on this one. After all, the Brazilian fighter has finished seven of her last eight opponents. Her barrage of 5.33 significant strikes per minute with 54% accuracy will be too much for her opponent to handle. Considering how Leonardo has suffered three career KO/TKO losses, I see Silva finishing her off in Sin City.

Best Bet: Natalia Silva to Win by KO/TKO (+240)

Welterweight: Takashi Soto (+100) vs. Themba Gorimbo (-122)

Takashi Soto (15-6) is stuck in the worst rut of his career, having lost three straight fights — including one by submission and one by KO. Themba Gorimbo (10-4) is also coming off a loss as he was submitted by A.J. Fletcher in the former’s UFC debut three months ago.

Soto’s best days appear to be behind him, which is especially true after getting knockout in the first round of his latest fight. While Gorimbo didn’t impress too much in his debut, he’ll be motivated to turn things around. He’s also three inches taller with a four-inch reach advantage over Soto, so I expect Gorimbo to use his physical upside to keep his opponent away before closing things out with a submission.

Best Bet: Themba Gorimbo to Win by Submission (+260)

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 Vegas 73 preliminary and main cards can be viewed exclusively on ESPN+.

Other UFC Vegas 73 Articles on Betting News

• UFC Vegas 73 Full Card Preview, Odds, and Schedule
• Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill Prediction, Odds & Picks for UFC Vegas 73