UFC takes to Sweden this Saturday night (Sunday morning in India) as Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira vie for the number one contender's spot in the Light Heavyweight division. The two tested veterans seem to have just fallen short on previous attempts and will be equally eager to come away with the victory come fight night at Stockholm.
The co-main event sees Light Heavyweight action too, as Volkan Oezdemir takes on Misha Cirkunov in a bout that could propel either fighter closer to the spotlight which is now solely on Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. This promises to be a fantastic evening of fights and will most likely bring future contenders for the Light Heavyweight crown to light.
So let’s dive straight into it with the much-anticipated main event:
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira:
With both men having been in this very situation in the past, this fight looks beautifully poised as both competitors need this victory to push their careers in the right direction. The Swede’s range should benefit him through the duration of the fight, and the Brazillian’s aggressive standup could actually play to his advantage.
Gustafsson rises to occasion almost every time he’s in Sweden, and his key to victory here seems simple- just step back and rain bombs. Glover, on the other hand, has the odds stacked against him, despite being on a victory because of the afore-mention advantages and after being viciously in his last number one contender fight against Anthony Johnson.
However, you cannot rule out the hard-headed veteran, who could use his phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu to spoil things for the home crowd. Having said that, I believe the Brazillian will cave in the face of Gustafsson’s reach advantage, wrestling defence and granite chin.
Prediction: Gustafsson by KO.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Misha Cirkunov:
Fresh off a victory against Ovince St-Preux on his UFC debut, Oezdemir will be looking to strengthen his bid for the title as he takes on yet another fantastic opponent in Cirkunov who is on the back of an impressive submission victory himself. Cirkunov has been on a tear in the UFC so far as he has finished off all of his opponents during his tenure in the promotion so far.
Submission has been the Latvian’s main forte in the past, and I believe that this trend will continue as his superior accuracy should force Oezdemir to the ground, where the Swiss fighters ground game will be pushed to the limit.
Prediction: Cirkunov by submission
Peter Sobotta vs. Ben Saunders:
The German Sobotta has a lot on his hands as he fights Saunders, who has won five of his last six. On the other hand, Sobotta has fought only once in the last eighteen months and despite his above-average record could be shaking off some ring rust on his return against the well-oiled American.
None the less, it takes a lot to get the veteran Sobotta to his knees, and his TKO defeat to Kyle Noke at UFC 193 serves as proof of that, so Saunders has a fight on his hands that he should be able to solve by staying patient and sticking to his reliable striking that’s earned him an impressive record so far.
Prediction: Saunders by Unanimous Decision
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Omari Akhmedov:
Alhassan has been pulverising his way to fame so far with seven first round KOs, the longest of which was a mere 86 seconds. However, this mesmerising striker’s flaws could be exposed in the face of a cool, calculated Akhmedov who could use his wrestling prowess and regular takedowns to stop Alhassan.
If Akhmedov sticks to his wrestling and survives Alhassan’s initial barrage, we could see him walk away with the victory.
Prediction: Akhmedov by Unanimous Decision
Alex Nicholson vs. Jack Hermansson:
Two fighters with patchy records, both Nicholson and Hermansson are on the back of defeats. This Middleweight encounter promises to be a slugfest as both men do not hesitate to step to the plate and swing, even if it is to their detriment and given both fighter’s circumstances, neither man will back down.
Prediction: Nicholson by TKO
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