UFC Fight Night 54 Preliminary Card Predictions

The UFC is pulling a doubleheader this weekend. So strap in and get ready for a Saturday full of fights.

Before we head to UFC Fight Night 53 in Sweden, we have a great card in Canada. Headlined by Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine, it's bound to be an entertaining card.

My prelim predictions for UFC 178 were subpar to say the least. We will try our best to bounce back with a bunch of lesser-known fighters here.

Here are the prelim predictions for UFC Fight Night 54.

2014 Riley's Record: 134-82

Last Event: UFC 178 (2-4)

Pedro Munhoz vs. Jerrod Sanders

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Kicking off the card are a pair of bantamweights, as Brazilian Pedro Munhoz meets former lightweight Jerrod Sanders.

Sanders cut from 155 to 135 pounds after his UFC debut, which saw him retire between rounds after taking a few too many kicks from Yosdenis Cedeno. He is a large mass of man, which makes his cut to 135 interesting, especially in terms of safety.

He is a wrestler and grinder, so he will try to push Munhoz against the cage and drag him to the ground.

Munhoz is one of the many bright prospects in the 135-pound division. Mainly a grappler, he had worked hard on his striking at Blackhouse and Kings MMA.

His UFC debut saw him take a short-notice bout opposite contender Raphael Assuncao, which is a difficult bout for any man making his debut. He lost that fight but impressed in his follow-up effort, a submission win over Matt Hobar.

Munhoz is superior to Sanders on the ground and likely just a hair better on the feet. Munhoz is crafty enough to find a way to finish Sanders.

Prediction: Munhoz def. Sanders via submission

Albert Tumenov vs. Matt Dwyer

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In the next bout, a pair of welterweights will square off, as Russian striker Albert Tumenov welcomes Canadian Matt Dwyer to the Octagon.

Tumenov is a vicious striker with excellent kicks, punches and knees. He is just 22 years old and has already competed in 15 pro bouts, earning 13 wins and nine knockouts in the process.

He dropped a close bout to Ildemar Alcantara in his debut, but followed that up with a violent one-punch KO of Anthony Lapsley in his sophomore outing. He looks to continue that momentum here in enemy territory.

As for Dwyer, the Canadian makes his debut on the heels of a five-fight win streak, which includes wins over DaMarques Johnson and Shonie Carter. In fact, of his seven wins, all of them have come via knockout or TKO.

This will be an incredibly fun fight on the feet. Both men like to fire in the pocket and do so with bad intent. Unfortunately for Dwyer, Tumenov does it better and more violently.

Prediction: Tumenov def. Dwyer via KO

Paul Felder vs. Jason Saggo

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Up next are the lightweights, as Canadian Jason Saggo welcomes undefeated Paul Felder to the UFC.

Saggo is a submission specialist who went against the grain in his UFC debut. Despite owning eight wins by tapout, he went out of his way to pummel Josh Shockley with ground-and-pound in the first round.

He takes on a proficient striker in Felder who has terrorized the Cage Fury Fighting Championships with his awesome kicks, punches and knockout power. He is 8-0 while taking on some stiff competition.

His latest win was worthy of a highlight reel, as he destroyed Craig Johnson with a nasty spinning heel kick. It's that type of performance that has quickly caught the eye of talent scouts and fans.

Saggo is a tough dude, but Felder is a very skilled prospect. He will outstrike Saggo here and defend the takedown en route to a clear-cut decision.

Prediction: Felder def. Saggo via decision

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Jake Lindsey

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Next up are the lightweights, as Olivier Aubin-Mercier drops down from welterweight to take on Jake Lindsey in both men's sophomore outings.

Aubin-Mercier is a judo player with excellent grappling skills and suffocating chokes. All of his wins come by rear-naked choke, as he has an incredibly composed back mount.

His striking still has a ways to go, but he can handle himself there. He mostly uses his striking to set up his workmanlike takedowns, which he scores frequently.

Lindsey is a well-rounded fighter with good strength and power. Seeing as Aubin-Mercier is a good grappler, he will want to keep this fight standing in hopes that Aubin-Mercier can't get into his comfort zone.

Aubin-Mercier is a very good prospect. He is still young and only getting better. He will show why he is a great prospect, as he finishes Lindsey in an impressive showing.

Prediction: Aubin-Mercier def. Lindsey via submission

Patrick Holohan vs. Chris Kelades

Moving forward, we have a flyweight bout, as Irishman Patrick Holohan looks to make a further impression in his sophomore outing against late replacement Chris Kelades.

Holohan snags Kelades on late notice because original opponent Louis Gaudinot bowed out due to injury. This is Holohan's second fight with the UFC, with his debut being a shocking upset of Josh Sampo.

He is a good boxer with underrated submission ability. In fact, eight of the Irishman's victories come by way of submission, mostly by rear-naked choke and triangle choke.

Kelades is a Bellator veteran who is 7-1 with five finishes. Most have come on the ground, as he has both submission and ground-and-pound stoppages.

On short notice and with a skill disadvantage, Kelades will struggle here. Holohan will hurt him on the feet and finish him on the mat.

Prediction: Holohan def. Kelades via submission

Daron Cruickshank vs. Anthony Njokuani

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The prelims are capped off by a lightweight bout, as Daron Cruickshank looks to get back to his winning ways against muay thai specialist Anthony Njokuani.

Cruickshank has risen rapidly during his UFC tenure due to his fun striking style and highlight-reel finishes. Though he is coming off a loss to Jorge Masvidal, he has recent head kick finishes of Erik Koch and Mike Rio that had fans buzzing.

Njokuani has literally shuffled wins and losses since coming to the UFC. The striker has struggled against wrestlers and defeated guys who entertained fights on the feet with him.

This could be an exciting striking battle. Both men are technical and use fun techniques that will have fans in awe. However, Cruickshank's ability to score the takedown will be the difference here.

Prediction: Cruickshank def. Njokuani via decision