UFC Fight Night 53: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card
UFC Fight Night 53 was set to be Gunnar Nelson's breakout party. Instead, it produced the Iceland native's first MMA loss.
Rick Story, a tough UFC veteran, was billed as Nelson's first real test in the welterweight division. However, Nelson was the favorite coming into Saturday.
In holding Nelson to one takedown over five rounds, Story was able to avoid rolling with the grappling ace and had a clear edge when it came to striking. Landing 100 more significant strikes than Nelson, Story cruised to a decision victory.
With another UFC event in the books, here is a look at who should be next for Story, Nelson and the other UFC Fight Night 53 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 9
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Magnus Cedenblad | Sean Strickland |
| Nico Musoke | Sean Spencer |
| Dennis Siver | Darren Elkins vs. Lucas Martins Winner |
| Cathal Pendred | Vik Grujic vs. Chris Clements Winner |
| Krzysztof Jotko | Tom Watson |
| Mairbek Taisumov | Johnny Case |
| Zubaira Tukhugov | Katsunori Kikuno |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Scott Askham | Luke Zachrich vs. Daniel Kelly Loser |
| Alexander Yakovlev | None (Release) |
| Charles Rosa | Damon Jackson |
| Gasan Umalatov | Igor Araujo |
| Tor Troeng | None (Release) |
| Marcin Bandel | Cain Carrizosa |
| Ernest Chavez | Akira Corassani |
Niklas Backstrom
2 of 9
Matchup: Sam Sicilia
With a submission win over Tom Niinimaki in his UFC debut, Niklas Backstrom looked to be a very bright prospect in the featherweight division.
However, Backstrom hit a speed bump in the form of Mike Wilkinson's fist at UFC Fight Night 53. As he ate a front kick, Wilkinson returned a right hand that flattened Backstrom, leaving the Swede unconscious on the canvas.
"Wow that's a HUGE upset. Mike Wilkinson just KO'd Niklas Backstrom in a bad way. Absolutely crushing KO #UFC
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 4, 2014"
Despite the loss, at 25 years old, Backstrom should still have a bright future ahead. He may look to get back on track against another The Ultimate Fighter veteran, Sam Sicilia.
Mike Wilkinson
3 of 9
Matchup: Godofredo Pepey
After 16 months away from the Octagon, Wilkinson returned as an underdog opposite Backstrom.
"Mike Wilkinson….hero of bookies around the world……….
— Fight_Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) October 4, 2014"
However, Wilkinson laughed in the face of odds and ring rust to earn a Performance of the Night bonus with a highlight-reel knockout on Saturday. The stellar showing marked Wilkinson's first stoppage win inside the Octagon.
That should earn him a step up in competition, which could mean a matchup with Godofredo Pepey. While Pepey has lost to Sicilia, who I previously suggested as an opponent for Backstrom, the Brazilian has much more positive momentum now.
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Ilir Latifi
4 of 9
Matchup: Patrick Cummins vs. Antonio Carlos Jr. Winner
After two straight opening-round stoppages, Ilir Latifi was asked to welcome Jan Blachowicz to the Octagon. While Blachowicz was inexperienced at the UFC level, he was a known commodity, having beaten Houston Alexander, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and other UFC veterans.
Those bouts with MMA veterans prepared Blachowicz well for his meeting with Latifi on Saturday. In less than two minutes, Blachowicz put Latifi away with a body kick and follow-up punches.
Now 2-2 inside the Octagon, Latifi will have to go back to the drawing board.
The Swede has clearly earned a place on the UFC roster, but he's going to have to continue facing unranked UFC light heavyweights right now. A bout with the loser of a December matchup between Patrick Cummins and Antonio Carlos Jr. is a possibility.
Jan Blachowicz
5 of 9
Matchup: Gian Villante vs. Corey Anderson Winner
Desperate for fresh contenders in the 205-pound division, the UFC may have struck gold with Jan Blachowicz.
At UFC Fight Night 53, the Polish light heavyweight was able to do what Gegard Mousasi and many others couldn't since November 2009. That is finishing a very tough Latifi, which Blachowicz did by plowing a kick into the Swede's midsection.
"Jan Blachowicz KO body kick. Nice. His name makes me think "middle-aged PTA mom" but great finish there nevertheless.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 4, 2014"
No need to rush Blachowicz along, as there is a small jam at the top of the 205-pound class due to a Jon Jones injury. So, let's see if he can finish the winner of a December bout between Gian Villante and Corey Anderson.
Akira Corassani
6 of 9
Matchup: Ernest Chavez
Akira Corassani started his UFC career strong with three straight wins, but he has since drawn tough matchups against Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway.
On Saturday, Holloway pretty much put an end to any hopes Corassani had of entering the Top 15 anytime soon. Corassani landed a couple of solid punches early, but he ran into trouble as soon as Holloway found his range and was knocked out before the opening round came to an end.
"Max Holloway just did the damn thing on Akira Corassani. Complete ownage and a horrible stoppage. Holloway's won four-straight!
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) October 4, 2014"
Following two rough bouts with high-level opposition, Corassani will likely take a few steps down in competition. A bout with Ernest Chavez, who also lost a second straight fight at UFC Fight Night 53, would be logical.
Max Holloway
7 of 9
Matchup: Nik Lentz
Holloway continues to look like a fighter who has title contention in his future, as the Hawaiian knocked out Akira Corassani in brutal fashion on Saturday.
"With two knockdowns, Max Holloway ties Jose Aldo for most in UFC/WEC FTW history with 7. Quality of competition notwithstanding, wow man.
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) October 4, 2014"
At only 22 years old, Holloway has already picked up seven UFC wins and now has won four in a row. It's time he gets another chance to test himself against a ranked 145-pounder.
Undoubtedly, defensive wrestling is the biggest area of concern for Holloway. So, it might make sense to have Nik Lentz test him.
Gunnar Nelson
8 of 9
Matchup: Dan Miller
Nelson isn't going to take a direct route to the top of the welterweight division like some may have thought he would. Gunni suffered his first setback on Saturday and will now look to make adjustments and get the momentum going again.
While Nelson didn't have much success against Story, he should still be able to learn from this outing. He's among the best in the world on the ground, but Nelson needs to improve his offensive wrestling in order to get fights where he wants them.
"Dissapointed for my team mate @GunniNelson but what a great fight, between two great warriors!! So much to take from a contest like that!!
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 4, 2014"
A bout with Dan Miller would give Nelson a chance to rebound against a familiar opponent to most MMA fans.
Rick Story
9 of 9
Matchup: Jordan Mein
Story may still be a few wins away from a shot at the 170-pound championship, but he showed against Nelson that he's still among the toughest in the welterweight division.
Following a close first round, Story took control and picked up a clear win over Nelson. One judge sided with Nelson, but the other two judges and everyone in the MMA media, according to MMADecisions.com, correctly sided with Story.
"Rick Story crashes the Gunnar Nelson hype train. How one judge had it 48-47 for Nelson I have no clue. Great performance #UFC
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 4, 2014"
The win should keep Story competing against Top 15 welterweights. Next up could be Jordan Mein, who knocked out Mike Pyle in his most recent outing.
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