UFC Fight Night ‘Nelson vs. Story’ Preview

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MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Scott Askham (12-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (12-4, 2-1 UFC): British Association of Mixed Martial Arts middleweight champion and blue-chip prospect Askham makes his debut against Cedenblad, who has fought only three times in more than two years with the promotion. Askham is a solid wrestler and striker with excellent power, but he really excels in the clinch, where his 6-foot-3 height gives him great leverage, control and the ability to throw unending salvos of vicious knees. Cedenblad is likewise a strong clinch fighter with good control and slick trips, but the real strength of his game is on the mat. Askham is being seriously undervalued -- he currently sits as high as +115 -- and I think he will stuff Cedenblad’s takedowns and exploit the Swede’s porous striking defense for a knockout in the second round.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Nicholas Musoke (12-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (21-5-1, 0-1 UFC): An aspiring rapper and pretty decent fighter, Yakovlev lost a brutal matchup to Demian Maia in his UFC debut in May, and things do not get much easier here in a fight against Musoke, who dropped a competitive decision to rising star Kelvin Gastelum in June. Yakovlev is good at everything but great at nothing, with a preference for top control. Musoke is a surprisingly technical wrestler with an excellent top game of his own, though his striking still needs work. The pick here is Musoke by decision in an entertaining, back-and-forth fight featuring a little of everything.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Dennis Siver (21-9, 10-6 UFC) vs. Charles Rosa (9-0, 0-0 UFC): Siver returns to action after a nine-month layoff due to a failed drug test and gets UFC debutante Rosa; the newcomer comes in on less than two weeks’ notice to replace first the injured Robert Whiteford and then Taylor Lapilus, who was nixed by the Swedish commission. Rosa, a product of American Top Team, is a talented submission artist and developing striker but is extremely raw and a somewhat deficient wrestler. Siver’s somewhat unorthodox, high-volume kickboxing remains the core of his game, but he has also greatly improved his wrestling and grappling over the last several years. I expect him to use those veteran skills to get Rosa to the mat and neutralize his dangerous guard while mixing in some closer-than-expected striking exchanges. The pick is Siver by clear unanimous decision.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Cathal Pendred (14-2-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Gasan Umalatov (15-3-1, 1-1 UFC): Irish standout Pendred gets a crack at Russian import Umalatov in a solid welterweight scrap. Umalatov, a master of sport in sambo and a decent boxer, has supplemented his bland but effective arsenal of punches and rock-solid clinch work with the occasional spinning kick. Pendred is far too willing to strike for his own good, but he is a skilled clinch fighter and top-position specialist, and his fantastic cardio and great ability to absorb punishment allow him to grind out decisions. The pick here is Pendred by close decision, though Umalatov has a real shot at winning the kind of gritty, in-your-face fight the Irishman prefers.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Tor Troeng (16-6-1, 1-2 UFC) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (14-1, 1-1 UFC): Representatives of Sweden and Poland meet in a likely loser-leaves-town matchup of bottom-tier middleweights. Jotko is mostly a wrestle-grappler with excellent clinch skills, but he is perfectly willing to throw leather, albeit with more enthusiasm than technical skill. Troeng is a well-rounded veteran with a particularly good inside game and not much athleticism. This is a coin flip, but I think Jotko is a little more athletic and can take a boring, slow-paced decision that features a lot of grinding in the clinch.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Mairbek Taisumov (21-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Marcin Bandel (13-2, 0-0 UFC): Chechen Taisumov takes on Pole Bandel in a lightweight contest with some international flavor. Taisumov is well-rounded and a solid athlete, though he lacks a particularly outstanding skill set and struggles with his takedown defense against the cage. Bandel is an absolutely venomous submission artist currently riding a streak of 12 consecutive submission victories in the first round, but he is only an average wrestler and lacks much in the way of striking skills. Taisumov by decision is the pick, but it would not be surprising if the Pole took home yet another trophy limb.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Zubaira Tukhugov (16-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Ernest Chavez (7-1, 1-1 UFC): This is something of a showcase fight for rising featherweight Tukhugov as he takes on two-fight UFC veteran Chavez, who drops to 145 pounds for the first time after losing to Elias Silverio as a lightweight. Tukhugov, a Chechen, is well-rounded, highly athletic and particularly adept at melding his skill sets and in transitions. Chavez is decent at everything but lacks a particularly outstanding skill set and high-level physical tools. The pick here is Tukhugov by dominant decision. Random fact: Tukhugov got a shout-out on Chechen dictator Ramazan Kadyrov’s totally surreal Instagram page after winning his UFC debut.

Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.