UFC Fight Night 69 Preliminary Card Predictions
The UFC makes its return to Germany this weekend, as UFC Fight Night 69 comes to you live on Fight Pass. Headlined by a UFC Strawweight Championship bout, the card is loaded with European talent and local fighters who should make for a fun night of fights.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk defends her title for the first time against Jessica Penne in the headliner. Jedrzejczyk is charismatic and charming, which in unison with her violent style has quickly earned her fans.
Before that, we have the prelims. UFC 188 saw this author's win-loss record improve after a rough patch, so hopefully things continue at this event.
With that, let's take a look at the prelims and make some predictions.
2015 Riley's Record: 70-49
Last Event: UFC 188 (5-1)
Taylor Lapilus vs. Yuta Sasaki
1 of 7
Kicking off the card will be the bantamweights, as Yuta "Ulka" Sasaki of Japan meets Frenchman Taylor Lapilus.
Sasaki is an experienced mixed martial artist and a strong grappler, as he holds an 18-2-2 record with nine submission wins. He is slick on the ground and fun to watch, especially when he owns top position.
He opened his career by making short work of Roland Delorme via rear-naked choke. However, he ran into a superior grappler in Leandro Issa in his next fight, as the Brazilian secured a neck crank that ended Sasaki's night.
On the other side of the cage is Lapilus, who is also a submission fighter. He showed improvements in his stand-up during his last fight and figures to be the quicker of the two men in the Octagon here.
He is 9-1 in his career thus far and 1-0 in the UFC. He made his debut in Poland, where he dominated an overwhelmed Rocky Lee in a clear-cut unanimous decision.
Lapilus is talented but still raw. That's why Sasaki, a more complete fighter, will finish him before the judges weigh in.
Prediction: Sasaki def. Lapilus via submission
Piotr Hallmann vs. Magomed Mustafaev
2 of 7
Next up are the lightweights, as Poland's Piotr Hallmann meets up with UFC newcomer Magomed Mustafaev.
Hallmann is a grappler who thrives in top position. He does have some good striking as well, which mixes things up nicely and makes him less dependent on achieving the takedown.
He returns after a suspension in an attempt to push his UFC record above .500. He has taken wins over Francisco Trinaldo and Yves Edwards but has fallen against Al Iaquinta and Gleison Tibau. That shows he needs to do more when stepping up in competition.
As for Mustafaev, the Russian has spent some time training with American Top Team to tighten up his already impressive arsenal. He is a takedown artist with a menacing top game, where he has good ground strikes and an impressive submission arsenal.
He is on a 10-fight winning streak, stopping every man he has fought. He looks to continue that against a strong opponent in Hallmann.
Mustafaev will be a good fighter for the UFC, but he won't win his debut. Hallmann is skilled and underrated, which is why he will take a close decision.
Prediction: Hallmann def. Mustafaev via decision
Scott Askham vs. Antonio Dos Santos
3 of 7
The middleweights do battle next, as England's Scott Askham faces Brazilian Antonio dos Santos.
Known as "Junior Alpha," Dos Santos is a striker who is aggressive and powerful. He is a headhunter who is constantly looking for the knockout and has only been to a decision once in his career.
After a strong tenure in Jungle Fights, he took a late-notice bout with Daniel Sarafian in his UFC debut. He looked solid in that bout until he suffered a dislocated finger and had the fight stopped.
As for Askham, he is also a striker who uses a variety of punching combinations and kicks. He is not as aggressive as Dos Santos is, but he has a style that will mesh well in a potential Fight of the Night matchup.
He ran an impressive 12-0 record en route to inking a UFC contract. However, in his debut, he lost to Magnus Cedenblad, despite almost finishing the Swede with a front kick midway through the fight.
Askham is a lot better than he showed in his UFC debut, and he will prove it here. He is a superior striker to Dos Santos, which he will use en route to a decision.
Prediction: Askham def. Dos Santos via decision
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Noad Lahat vs. Nicklas Backstrom
4 of 7
The featherweights are due to the cage next, as Israeli fighter Noad Lahat meets up with Swedish banger Nicklas Backstrom.
Backstrom is a striker known for his powerful punches and strong kicking. This was seen in his time in Europe, where he dominated the scene before getting signed by the UFC.
He has seen mixed results in the UFC so far. He opened up his tenure with a choke-out of Tom Niinimaki but slipped up in his most recent outing, where Mike Wilkinson dropped him with a huge knockout.
As for Lahat, the Israeli-born American Kickboxing Academy rep is a well-rounded individual with good striking and submissions. He returns to the cage after traveling to Israel, where he looked to help out with the ongoing conflict there.
Like Backstrom, he has seen mixed results with the UFC thus far. He opened up his career on the wrong end of a highlight-reel flying knee from Godofredo Pepey, but he won his sophomore effort over Steven Siler to even out his record.
This is a close matchup, and a big part of me wants to go with Lahat. However, Backstrom is the likely victor here, as he will prove to be better than he looked in his last loss.
Prediction: Backstrom def. Lahat via decision
Alan Omer vs. Arnold Allen
5 of 7
Next up are the featherweights, as German-based Alan Omer takes on late-replacement Englishman Arnold Allen. He fills in for Mike Wilkinson, who suffered an injury late in training camp.
Omer is a grappler with knockout power in his hands. He is also a finisher, as 16 of his 18 wins have come by either knockout or submission, which shows he prefers to keep the judges out of his fights.
He has not fought in more than a year, as injuries have kept him on the sidelines. His last fight was his UFC debut, where he dropped a close decision to Jim Alers in Abu Dhabi.
As for Allen, he is a top prospect from England who is also known for finishing fights. He is a Cage Warriors veteran who is only 21 years old, which means his best days are still ahead of him.
Allen is a solid prospect, but having less than a week to prepare for a guy who had a long training camp is a tough task. Omer will be victorious here.
Prediction: Omer def. Allen via submission
Mairbek Taisumov vs. Alan Patrick
6 of 7
A pair of streaking lightweights are set to do battle next, as Chechen beast Mairbek Taisumov takes on Brazilian grinder Alan Patrick.
Undefeated at 12-0, Patrick is a big 155er who thrives in the clinch and on the ground. He is not the most exciting fighter, though his style is effective in stifling opponents.
He returns to the Octagon for the first time in more than a year, as he suffered a gruesome jaw injury in training. That halted his momentum during a 2-0 run in the UFC, where he bested Garett Whiteley and John Makdessi.
Then there's Taisumov, a similarly gigantic lightweight with 28 pro fights to his resume. He runs with Tiger Muay Thai, where he has improved his striking to the point that it now complements his strong ground game.
He is 3-1 with the UFC so far and rapidly approaching contention. Despite a decision loss to Michel Prazeres, Taisumov has finished Anthony Christodoulou and Marcin Bandel while decisioning Tae Hyun Bang.
These men are similar in size and strength, but it will come down to who is more well-rounded. That man is Taisumov, who will outhustle Patrick in a close decision.
Prediction: Taisumov def. Patrick via decision
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Masio Fullen
7 of 7
Capping off the prelims are the featherweights, as Finland's own Makwan Amirkhani looks to follow up a strong UFC debut against Mexican Masio Fullen.
A staple of the Mexican MMA scene, Fullen participated on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Leonardo Morales. Most of his wins have come via submission, though he can hold his own on the feet as well.
After failing to make the tournament finals, Fullen received a second chance at the finale against Alexander Torres. There, he ran a split-decision victory over the Colombian to secure a spot on the UFC roster.
As for Amirkhani, the charismatic "Mr. Finland" is a submission wrestler known for his finishing prowess. He is a tall, lanky featherweight who is tough to train for based on his dimensions.
He made his UFC debut in impressive fashion, as he made short work of Andy Ogle with strikes. That win earned him a bunch of fans and a Performance of the Night check, as well as buzz at 145 pounds.
This is another setup fight for Amirkhani, who looks to be a marketable European commodity. He will defeat Fullen and move onto bigger and better things.
Prediction: Amirkhani def. Fullen via submission
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
