With the event being held at Stockholm, Sweden, hometown kid Alexander Gustafsson is sure to own the brightest spotlight. He will be under the great pressure of an entire arena expecting him to win and the chance of gaining another title shot for the Light Heavyweight strap.
It’s just a tiny part of the many exciting matches in the card. Read on below and see which fighters are great to put some money on!
Alexander Gustafsson (-340) vs Glover Teixeira (+260)
Light Heavyweight Bout (title shot eliminator)
Gustafsson (17-4) enters having lost three of his last five fights. He, however, is bringing a dangerous arsenal and will have the crowd behind him, thus being the odds-on favorite. The Swedish brawler is a very loose fighter who will create distance for his vicious kicks and then set up jabs and overhand rights for an uppercut or a smashing knee. Topping all of that offense nicely is his impressive 86 percent takedown defense, which is an excellent mix to his style of attack.
Teixeira (26-5), on the other hand, has won four of his last five, three of which are finishes – two KOs and one submission. He will have a 10-fight edge in experience and his elite abilities in wrestling/grappling (59 percent takedown accuracy) is a perfect foil to Gustaffson’s skill set. As for his striking, his go-to is to close the distance and deliver hard-hitting short range combinations.
Writer’s Prediction: Gustafsson wins via unanimous decision.
Volkan Oezdemir (+300) vs Misha Cirkunov (-400)
Light Heavyweight Bout
Known as an aggressive striker, Oezdemir (13-1) is one of the exciting new fighters in the UFC. He had a successful debut last February against Ovince St. Preux, and will look to have a more impressive win Saturday night. As a former heavyweight, his power is not in question, especially since he has nine TKO/KO wins. Additionally, he has 10 first-round finishes.
Cirkunov (13-2) is quite similar to Oezdemir. He, too, likes to beat opponents convincingly and quickly – he has 11 finishes (nine were in the opening round), with four coming via TKO/KOs and seven in submissions. Momentum is also on his side since he’s riding an eight-fight winning streak (3-0 in the UFC).
Writer’s Prediction: Cirkunov submits Oezdemir.
Peter Sobotta (+300) vs Ben Saunders (-400)
Welterweight Bout
Striking isn’t lost in Sobotta’s (16-5-1) weaponry. In fact, he’s been improving in that department as of late. However, against a dangerous stand up specialist like Saunders (21-7-2), we should see him, a big underdog, impose his true strength: jiu-jitsu. It’s where he has the best control, as evidenced in having 10 of his 16 Ws come via submission.
Saunders’ offense is mostly about a whirling combination of long kicks and knees (nine TKO/KO wins), but his ground game is just as potent. His wrestling/grappling abilities have him recording seven submission victories.
Writer’s Prediction: The two engage in an entertaining fight, with Saunders earning a close win.
Omari Akhmedov (+210) vs Abdul Razak Alhassan (-280)
Welterweight Bout
Akhmedhov (16-4) is balanced with punching power and strength for taking opponents down. It’s hard to gauge where his real fighting style lies, but that is what makes him a good contender in the division. He’s coming off a momentum-building win over Kyle Noke in November of last year, which featured arguably the most all-around display of his offense. He has seven TKO/KOs and five submissions.
The unbeaten, knockout artist Alhassan (7-0) has the abilities to counter all that versatility. Not to sound too baseball-like, but the man is simply a designated hitter who comes to a fight, looking for that big home run with his powerful swings. It has been smooth-sailing so far, with all of his wins having come via TKO/KOs.
Writer’s Prediction: Alhassan continues his trail of warpath with a TKO/KO.
Alex Nicholson (-110) vs Jack Hermansson (-120)
Middleweight Bout
Nicholson (7-3) doesn’t have the prettiest record in the world, but his ability to put foes to sleep with his fists is really commendable. Six of his seven wins came via TKO/KO, and we may be looking at his seventh by Saturday’s end. Look for him to be aggressively swinging right from the bell.
Hermansson (14-3) is also a finisher, as only two of his fights came to the judge’s scorecard. Although his offense tilts more on standing up, we may see him rely on his decent ground attack, which may be perfect for a super aggressive opponent. He has eight TKO/KOs and four submissions in his career.
Writer’s Prediction: Hermansson wins via submission or unanimous decision.
