Tom Niinimaki will enter the cage on a 12-fight winning streak. | Iikka Nikkinen/MMAViking.com
Featherweights
Tom Niinimaki (21-5-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Niklas Backstrom (7-0, 0-0 UFC)In addition to landing takedowns and ground-and-pound against his opponent, Niinimaki remained composed in several precarious situations. Considering his level of experience -- the Shooto veteran has been competing professionally since 2002 -- the performance should not have been all that surprising.
The 24-year-old Backstrom, who is a late fill-in for the injured Thiago Tavares, has been tabbed as a prospect of intrigue in Europe. A product of the Allstars Training Center, Backstrom has had the opportunity to work alongside a number of UFC talents, most notably light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson. At 6-foot, Backstrom has good size for a featherweight and might have a decent chance of negating Niinimaki’s pure physical strength. As a taller fighter, Backstrom understands range fairly well and is well-versed in using a diverse arsenal of kicks; witness his front-kick knockout of Max Coga in his most recent outing.
Backstrom, like Niinimaki, is first and foremost a grappler. Both men are accustomed to maintaining top control and landing meaningful ground-and-pound. Niinimaki, of course, proved himself defensively on the large stage by surviving several Yahya submission attempts. While Backstrom is probably the better kicker, give Niinimai the edge in boxing, both in terms of the crispness of his punches and defensive fundamentals.
The Pick: Backstrom has the tools carve out a lasting spot on the UFC roster, but the seasoned Niinimaki appears to have an answer for most everything he does well in this matchup. Niinimaki wins by decision.
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