UFC on Fox 14: Preliminary Card Predictions

The UFC just had a giant weekend in Boston with UFC Fight Night 59 and superstar Conor McGregor. However, there is no rest for the weary, as we return with UFC on Fox 14 on Saturday.

Headlined by Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson, the card is stacked from top to bottom. In addition to that light heavyweight title eliminator, names like Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi and Ryan Bader grace the card, making this a must-see event.

After a .500 start on the year, I came back strong at UFC Fight Night 59. Other than my upset pick not panning out, I put on a near-perfect performance that has the year off to a pretty strong start.

Without further ado, here are the preliminary card predictions for the fights from Sweden this weekend.

2015 Riley's Record: 10-4

Last Event: UFC Fight Night 59 (7-1)

Neil Seery vs. Chris Beal

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We kick off the prelims in the flyweight division, as Irish scrapper Neil Seery looks for his second win in the UFC when he welcomes The Ultimate Fighter 18 vet Chris Beal to Europe.

Seery, the former Cage Warriors flyweight champion, is well-rounded, though his boxing is the best part of his game. Don't judge the Irishman on his not-so-sexy record of 14-10, as he is vastly improved and looks to be a flyweight on the rise.

He entered the UFC on a four-fight winning streak in a late-notice bout with Brad Pickett. That fight was closely contested, much to the surprise of many, but Seery still dropped a unanimous decision. However, he came out strong in his sophomore effort, besting Phil Harris in his home country in an impressive display.

As for Beal, he is also a striker who likes to box. He is quick and athletic, which he consistently uses to his advantage when sticking and moving on opponents.

He was not invited back after TUF but was given a UFC roster spot after winning a fight in the regional circuit. Since returning to the company, he has gone 2-0, destroying Patrick Williams with a highlight-feel flying knee and outlasting Tateki Matsuda on the scorecards.

This fight has the makings of an exciting striking battle between two technical boxers. Seery has been fighting tough competition for a while, but Beal is physically gifted and superior in the strength department. All things considered, it would appear that Beal has more tools to be successful here in a fun scrap. 

Prediction: Beal def. Seery via decision

Viktor Pesta vs. Konstantin Erokhin

Capping off the Fight Pass portion of the prelims are the heavyweights, as Russian Konstantin Erokhin looks to prove his hype against tough-as-nails Czech fighter Viktor Pesta.

Erokhin enters the UFC as a highly regarded prospect, holding an impressive 9-1 record and a powerful skill set. A striker, he has lightning-quick hands with an immense amount of power in them—something that has led to the demise of all but one man he has defeated. His ground game remains somewhat a question mark, though.

He has spent his career in Russia, taking on tough competition that has molded him for his run in the UFC. He lost his pro debut but has not lost since, beating the likes of Rameau Sokoudjou, Brett Rogers, Richard Odoms and Dave Huckaba. The only man he did not finish was Rogers, whom he still defeated handily.

As for Pesta, he will try to play Erokhin's huckleberry, as he is more of a ground fighter and will try to expose the newcomer there. He has a good takedown game and heavy top game, where he utilizes big punches and savvy submission prowess on a consistent basis.

He came into the UFC undefeated at 9-0, only going to decision twice. However, he dropped a decision to Ruslan Magomedov in his debut, though he showed some potential in that bout.

This tilt should be interesting, as Pesta is more than capable of grounding Erokhin. However, the quickness and power of Erokhin are key here, as he should be able to move well and tap Pesta's chin more than a few times, forcing an eventual stoppage. 

Prediction: Erokhin def. Pesta via TKO

Mirsad Bektic vs. Paul Redmond

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Leading off the prelims on Fox Sports 1 are the featherweights, as top prospect Mirsad Bektic looks to keep his perfect record intact when he takes on late-notice opponent Paul Redmond, an Irish veteran of the respectable Cage Warriors promotion.

Redmond is a ground specialist who is known for going for leglocks. In fact, three of his four submission victories come by way of toe hold, which shows his knack for snatching a leg when need be.

He does have some striking, but that is mostly to set up for his takedowns. This is the biggest test of his career, but he does hold victories over Lewis Long, Alexei Roberts and Damien Brown.

As for Bektic, he is a power wrestler with relentless takedowns, nasty ground strikes and underrated submission ability. Six of his eight pro wins come via finish, which shows that he is always looking to end the fight before the judges can make a decision.

He was running through the RFA promotion before the UFC finally inked him and squared him off with fellow wrestler Chas Skelly in his UFC debut. He won a majority decision in which he was dominant until an illegal knee hurt him. Said knee affected him greatly, as he didn't look the same as before as the fight continued.

Bektic is a tough out for any 145er, much less a guy who is taking the fight on late notice. Redmond will fight valiantly, but Bektic will ground him, pound him and finish him off with extreme prejudice. 

Prediction: Bektic def. Redmond via TKO

Mairbek Taisumov vs. Anthony Christodoulou

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Moving forward, we head to the lightweight division, as Chechen prospect Mairbek Taisumov looks to build on his latest win in the UFC against late-notice fighter Anthony Christodoulou.

Taisumov has long been well-regarded in the European and Asian MMA scenes as a tough fighter, but the well-rounded fighter's move to Tiger Muay Thai seems to have been the best career choice he has made for himself. Since moving there, he has tightened up his striking, which now complements his strong ground game well.

He has sandwiched a loss between two wins in his UFC career thus far. Despite getting outpointed by Michel Prazeres in his sophomore effort, Taisumov dominated Tae Hyun Bang and knocked out Marcin Bandel in his other two UFC fights, showing that he has the potential for bigger things at 155.

As for Christodoulou, the native of Greece has spent time with Renzo Gracie's camp in America to improve on an already solid MMA game. He is a ground fighter who mixes ground-and-pound well with submissions and is currently on a seven-fight win streak, where he's finished five opponents.

Christodoulou is a question mark at this point, especially given the short time to prepare. Given that Taisumov is a skilled lightweight who has fought at a high level for a while, he should not experience too many problems as he secures the finish. 

Prediction: Taisumov def. Christodoulou via TKO

Nikita Krylov vs. Stanislav Nedkov

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Next up are the light heavyweights, as Bulgarian brute Stanislav Nedkov looks to ensure some job security against Ukrainian bruiser Nikita Krylov.

Nedkov is a wrestler with tremendous punching power who is always looking for the knockout. Though he can finish the fight with one punch, he is one-dimensional when throwing those strikes, basically just looking to land overhands on opponents. 

He entered the UFC with a boom, brutally knocking out Luiz Cane in Brazil with a massive punching attack. However, he failed in his next two UFC fights, as Thiago Silva starched him (which was overturned due to a failed Silva drug test) and Tom Watson viciously put him down.

He takes on a young, powerful fighter in Krylov, who is looking to finally put together consecutive wins in the cage. He likes to stand and strike; however, if he's able to get his opponent to the mat, he will look to pounce with ground strikes and submissions. 

He fought twice at heavyweight with mixed results in the UFC, getting stomped by Soa Palelei before running through Walt Harris. He then dropped to 205 where he currently resides, going 1-1; Ovince Saint Preux chocked him out, but Krylov brutally finished Cody Donovan with strikes.

Neither man is famous for his cardio, which is why this could get ugly quickly. Whoever has the more well-rounded game will likely gain the advantage here. That man is Nedkov, who will tire out Krylov and pounce on the wounded prey.

Prediction: Nedkov def. Krylov via TKO

Andy Ogle vs. Makwan Amirkhani

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Next up are the featherweights, as British kickboxer Andy Ogle looks to spoil the debut of the man known as "Mr. Finland," Makwan Amirkhani.

Ogle is a TUF 15 alum from England who has a well-rounded skill set but doesn't particularly stand out in any facet of the game. However, he has been training with Team Alpha Male recently, trying to tighten things up, which shows his commitment to improvement. 

He has had a disappointing run in the UFC, and it's almost surprising he's still with the company, given he is 1-4 and riding a three-fight skid. His current slide includes decision losses to Cole Miller and Maximo Blanco, as well as a submission loss to Charles Oliveira.

Amirkhani looks to be a promising young fighter from Finland, though he is not the most known fighter from that area. He is a grappler with a good submission arsenal, as seen in his eight wins via tapout.

He has a wide range of submission techniques, using everything from D'arce chokes to heel hooks to guillotines to finish fights in the cafe. He even owns a 2013 submission victory over Tom Duquesnoy, whom many MMA experts peg as a top prospect at 145.

This will be my upset pick of the night. Ogle is tough, but for some reason, I have a hunch that Amirkhani will pull this one off.

Prediction: Amirkhani def. Ogle via decision

Kenny Robertson vs. Sultan Aliev

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The welterweights enter the cage next, as American Kenny Robertson has the task of welcoming Russian grinder Sultan Aliev to the UFC.

Aliev, a veteran of Bellator and many Russian promotions, is a sambo guy who uses takedowns and top control effectively. He is powerful and possesses mean ground-and-pound, wearing on guys before putting them away with strikes (10 of his 13 wins come via knockout).

He will make his debut on the strength of a four-fight winning streak—all knockouts. His only loss came in Bellator to Doug Marshall in a split decision that was controversial to everyone who watched.

As for Robertson, the well-rounded Illinois native has a collegiate wrestling background but can also bang on the feet. His well-roundedness makes him a tough out for him, as he can usually dictate where he wants the fight to be contested.

His UFC career is in its second stint and has seen its ups and downs thus far. He does possess losses to Aaron Simpson and Sean Pierson, but he has beaten Ildemar Alcantara, Thiago Perpetuo and Brock Jardine, with the Jardine win coming by an amazing Suloev stretch kneebar.

This should be a battle of attrition, as both men love the ground game and can throw on the feet. This will be a close bout, but Aliev earns the victory here in his debut. 

Prediction: Aliev def. Robertson via decision

Nico Musoke vs. Albert Tumenov

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Capping off the prelims are the welterweights, as Sweden's own Nico Musoke looks to continue his impressive run thus far in the UFC against talented Russian striker Albert Tumenov.

Tumenov is just 23 years old and already a quickly rising star in MMA. In fact, not only is he a successful mixed martial artist, but he is a violent finisher, wowing crowds with some amazing finishing ability on the feet.

He lost a split decision in his UFC debut to Ildemar Alcantara, but it was a hotly contested bout that could have gone either way. Since then, he has learned not to leave it up to the judges, as he has brutally put away both Anthony Lapsley and Matt Dwyer with clean knockouts that have stolen both men's consciousness.

As for Musoke, the Swede has had an unlikely run in the UFC thus far that has seen him win fights many didn't expect him to. He has used a well-rounded style, which combines good hands and a surprisingly strong ground game.

Other than a decision loss to contender Kelvin Gastelum, Musoke has earned decisions over Viscardi Andrade and Alexander Yakovlev, as well as a beautiful armbar of Alessio Sakara in his debut.

Musoke seems to be the consensus favorite here, as he has proved time and time again to win bouts against guys who are likely favorites. However, I love Tumenov's stopping power on the feet, and he will have Musoke waking up in the middle of the cage and wondering what happened.

Prediction: Tumenov def. Musoke via KO