UFC Fight Night 109: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira
Date: May 28, 2017
Arena: Ericsson Globe
City: Stockholm, Sweden
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to return to Stockholm, Sweden for the fifth time in promotional history this Sunday (May 28, 2017) with UFC Fight Night 109: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira. The 12-fight card is scheduled to kick off with preliminary action on UFC Fight Pass at 10 a.m. ET. Prelims will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 11 a.m., with the main card getting going on the same channel at 1 p.m. If interested in wagering on any bouts for this fight card, all betting lines available at Several Bookmakers.
Here is my parlay:
Light Heavyweight bout: Alexander Gustafsson (-320) vs. Glover Teixeira (+260)
Gabe’s Thoughts: At this point of their respective careers, I believe Gustafsson is the better fighter, tougher to put away and more likely to finish the fight. Along with the hometown edge, I think he will also have a cardio advantage heading into this five-round main event. I see him successfully defending Teixeira’s takedown attempts, keeping this fight on the feet and outpointing the Brazilian over the course of 25 minutes of action, potentially securing a T/KO finish along the way. I don’t trust Teixeira’s chin, and while Gustafsson is not exactly a knockout artist, I think he is more than capable of putting the Brazilian’s lights out. Both 205-pounders returned to the win column with unanimous decision victories in their most recent Octagon outings, and heading into this bout, they will be aiming to make it two in a row for themselves in hopes of earning another shot at the title.
Gabe’s Call: Gustafsson by T/KO (punches, 3:44 round 1)
Welterweight bout: Abdul Razak Alhassan (-260) vs. Omari Akhmedov (+180)
Gabe’s Thoughts: Alhassan was success in his UFC debut, as he scored a first-round knockout of fellow promotional newcomer Charlie Ward. Heading into this contest against Akhmedov, he will be looking for a second consecutive Octagon finish while simultaneously remaining undefeated as a pro. Akhmedov is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Kyle Noke, which was arguably his best performance to date, and he will be hoping to make it two straight for himself. I see this fight playing out on the feet, and while I believe Akhmedov is a solid striker, I think he will be outgunned in this contest. I believe Alhassan is more vicious on the feet and is the much more likely party to end the fight, which is the outcome I favor in this three-round contest. Should it hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision, I favor “ARA” to pick up the nod, but I do think a T/KO finish is the most likely outcome in this welterweight showdown.
Gabe’s Call: Alhassan by T/KO (strikes, 2:30 round 1)
Gabe’s Recommended Parlay: Gustafsson (-320) and Alhassan (-260) at -123
