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:
Welterweight bout: Darren Till (-300) vs. Jessin Ayari (+240)
Gabe’s Thoughts: Ayari took a split decision win over Jim Wallhead in what was the UFC debut for both welterweights, and he now enjoys a seven-fight winning streak. Till is coming off an extended year-and-a-half layoff and is undefeated in 14 fights as a pro. His lone UFC bout resulted in a majority draw, as he took on Nicolas Dalby and earned a 10-8 first round, but lost the following two. I believe Till is the superior fighter of the two, and despite the layoff, see him coming out on top in this matchup. I favor an early finish, but things could get interesting if the fight drags on, as his cardio may not be where it needs to be. If the fight does hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision, I think Till is the more likely fighter to take the nod, but I believe a 29-28 scenario is slightly more likely than a 30-27.
Gabe’s Call: Till by T/KO (strikes, 0:40 round 1)
Lightweight bout: Marcin Held (-320) vs. Damir Hadzovic (+248)
Gabe’s Thoughts: Held is the superior grappler and submission artist heading into this 155-pound affair between two fighters who are winless in the UFC. Hadzovic was knocked out by Mairbek Taisumov in the opening round of his lone Octagon appearance, and Held has gone 0-2, with a unanimous-decision loss to Diego Sanchez and a controversial split-decision call to Joe Lauzon, who admitted he thought he lost that bout. I think Held’s aformentioned superior grappling and submission game will be the difference in this matchup, as I see him taking Hadzovic to the mat, whether it’s via takedown or pulling guard. I see him eventually securing a submission to earn the tapout victory. Should he fail to secure a finish, I think he will pick up a unanimous-decision nod from the judges.
Gabe’s Call: Held by Submission (toe hold, 1:31 round 1)
Gabe’s Recommended Parlay: Till (-300) and Held (-320) at -134
