Eugene Bareman is not taking antonio smith as a lighter challenge for Carlos Ulberg.
Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was scheduled to face the former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill June 29 at UFC 303, but Hill was forced out due to a knee injury. Ulberg will now face Smith (38-19 MMA, 13-9 UFC) on the main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Smith is ranked several places below Hill, but the City Kickboxing coach thinks he could end up presenting a tougher test for Ulberg.
“(He’s) a little bit down, but the top 15, the nature of the top 15 is what separates No. 2, No. 4 and No. 15 is nothing,” Bareman said. combat TV. “No. 15 could easily beat No. 4 or No. 12 could beat No. 2 – like nothing separates these guys. There’s a number next to these guys’ names, but it has nothing to do with the quality of the opponent. They are all the best guys in the world.
“So there are a lot of people who argue that Carlos is getting into an even tougher fight now with Anthony Smith. It’s a shame he’s not fighting a guy who’s above him, and it’s also a shame he’s not fighting on Conor McGregor’s undercard. I think this adds a lot of value to the young fighters that are coming up.”
Regardless of the change of opponent, Ulberg will face his most notable name to date, Smith. Ulberg is on a six-fight winning streak, five of which have come via submission.
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
