Preview: UFC Fight Night 223 Prelims

Welterweights

Orion Cosce (8-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gilbert Urbina (6-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Cosce (-120), Urbina (+200)

Urbina competed on “The Ultimate Fighter” back in 2021, as “The RGV Bad Boy” was one of the more seasoned competitors on the comeback season of the show. However, things never quite came together for Urbina over the course of the season. He was able to swat late replacement Micheal Gillmore without much issue but got knocked out by Tresean Gore. He then got pressed into action once Gore was injured and wound up losing the middleweight final to Bryan Battle. Urbina had his moments in that fight, using the same scrappy approach that found him most of his success on the regional scene, but it was not a guarantee the UFC would keep him around. Nearly two years later, Urbina returns and drops down to welterweight in search of a win. Cosce’s UFC career thus far has mostly been marked by injuries and inactivity, as “Galaxy” earned a contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 but has only made two trips to the Octagon since. However, he has proven to be a steady hand in splitting those two fights. Cosce’s game is unspectacular and centers around a lot of grinding against the cage, but he is difficult to finish and has shown an impressive amount of persistence to keep bouncing back from adversity. Urbina is a gigantic welterweight with some grappling skill of his own, so the read is that he will be too difficult for Cosce to control and that he can separate himself on the feet as a more aggressive striker, if nothing else. This could be an ugly and relatively even fight, but the pick is Urbina via decision.

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