Two new changes have been made to UFC Fight Night 73, which goes down August 8 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Here they are, along with my thoughts on each. Uriah Hall vs. Oluwale Bamgbose, UFC Fight Night 73 After Joe Riggs pulled out of the fight, Uriah Hall will now take on UFC newcomer Oluwale Bamgbose in a middleweight bout. Hall is a really talented fighter, but we know what his issue is: his inactivity. When he throws strikes and throws power, he can knock his opponents out and badly hurt them. But when he just stands there and stares, he loses split decisions. As for Bamgbose, he’s a Ring of Combat vet and is undefeated in his career with a bunch of early knockouts, but Hall is a major step up in competition and you’d imagine he’ll have the “Octagon jitters” in this one. I’m going with Hall for my pick, but I would never bet on him, and if Bamgbose wins this fight, it would not surprise me at all, meaning that if the odds are good enough, maybe he’ll be worth a flier as a big dog. Dustin Ortiz vs. Willie Gates, UFC Fight Night 73 Due to an injury to Ian McCall, Dustin Ortiz’ new opponent is Willie Gates, and the pair will meet in a flyweight fight on the main card. This is a huge opportunity for Gates, who recently knocked out Darrell Montague for his highest-profile win to date. Gates has looked really good in the UFC for the most part but Ortiz has as well, and he’s fought a higher level of competition. While Gates is the more athletic, explosive and dangerous fighter in this bout, Ortiz is a really well-rounded mixed martial artist and can win the fight anywhere it goes. I do lean a bit towards Gates here just because he’s been so impressive as of late, but Ortiz is an underrated fighter and can’t be counted out. I’m expecting close odds for this one, but after Gates’ last win, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the favorite for this bout considering Ortiz is coming off of a loss and hasn’t fought since last winter.
