Preview: UFC Fight Night 173 ‘Brunson vs. Shahbazyan’ Prelims

Bantamweights

Chris Gutierrez (15-4-1) vs. Cody Durden (11-2)

ODDS: Gutierrez (-310), Durden (+255)

Gutierrez has overachieved thus far in his UFC run. He did not show much in his UFC debut against Raoni Barcelos but rebounded to have a strong 2019 victories over Ryan MacDonald and Geraldo de Freitas were neutralizing performances that were not particularly pretty to watch, but they showed that “El Guapo” deserves his spot on the UFC roster. Gutierrez’s win in May over Vince Morales showed some further progress. For the first time inside of the Octagon, he got the chance to play clear aggressor, chopping down Morales with leg kicks until a second-round stoppage. Now he looks to build off that performance against a late replacement and UFC newcomer in Durden. There is not a ton of useful footage on Durden, both in terms of what is out there and that most of what he does is run over weak opposition. There seems to be something there, particularly in terms of wrestling, so there is a chance he can take the initiative and shock Gutierrez. However, there is no reason not to favor the UFC veteran here. Durden will not be as passive as Morales, so this may not be quite a showcase performance, but the pick is Gutierrez via clear decision.