UFC on Fox 14 Prelims: Albert Tumenov Ruins Nicholas Musoke Homestand
Nicholas Musoke planned to please his fellow Swedes. Albert Tumenov had other ideas.
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Musoke enjoyed early success with a series of body kicks, as he attacked both sides of the Russian’s ribcage. Tumenov never slowed down. He cut Musoke and bloodied his nose in the second round, where he found a home for his accurate and damaging right hand. Tumenov kept his foot on the gas down the stretch, peppering the Swede with punches and landing a tactical takedown in the final 30 seconds.
Surging Robertson KOs Aliev
Bellator MMA veteran Kenny Robertson took care of American Top Team export Sultan Aliev with a counter left hook and follow-up punches in the first round of their undercard duel at 170 pounds. Robertson (15-3, 4-3 UFC) drew the curtain 2:42 into round one.
Aliev (13-2, 0-1 UFC) pecked away with a strong jab, but his decision to unsheathe a spinning back kick to the body proved costly. Robertson sidestepped the technique, floored the decorated sambo practitioner with a left hook to the chin, paired it with a crushing right hand and then sealed the deal with unanswered ground strikes.
The underrated Robertson has recorded three straight wins, finishing two of them in the first round.
Newcomer Amirkhani Scores Eight-Second Stoppage
Finnish newcomer Makwan Amirkhani dispatched “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 graduate Andy Ogle in shocking fashion, as he made a dazzling promotional debut in a preliminary featherweight tilt. Referee Kevin Sataki called for the stoppage just eight seconds into round one.
Amirkhani (11-2, 1-0 UFC) blasted Ogle with an immediate flying knee to the body, sent an uppercut through the stunned Team Alpha Male rep’s defenses and swarmed with punches. Sataki intervened, only to be met with a double-leg from the dazed Ogle (9-6, 1-5 UFC), who has lost four fights in a row and might soon have a date on the Zuffa chopping block.
Krylov Guillotine Submits Nedkov
Nikita Krylov submitted the returning Stanislav Nedkov with a standing guillotine choke in the first round of their brief encounter at 205 pounds. Nedkov (12-2, 1-2 UFC), who had not fought in nearly two years, conceded defeat 1:24 into round one.
Krylov (18-4, 3-2 UFC) cracked the Bulgarian with a short right hand and follow-up hammerfists before diving on an anaconda choke. The Ukrainian then transitioned to the guillotine, readjusted his grip as Nedkov scrambled to his feet and completed the submission.
The 22-year-old Kyrlov has finished all 18 of his victories inside one round.
Fast-Rising Taisumov Wrecks Christodoulou
Tiger Muay Thai’s Mairbek Taisumov wiped out Anthony Christodoulou with second-round punches in a preliminary lightweight affair. A replacement for Yan Cabral, the woefully overmatched Christodoulou (12-5, 0-1 UFC) met his end 38 seconds into round two.
Taisumov (23-5, 3-1 UFC) controlled virtually every second of the fight. He tore into Christodoulou with savage leg kicks, a pair of spinning back kicks to the body and punishing multi-punch combinations to the head. Taisumov countered a desperate takedown attempt from the Octagon rookie early in round two, powered into top position and uncorked a violent volley of lefts and rights that knocked Christodoulou unconscious.
The 26-year-old Taisumov has rattled off six wins in his past seven outings.
Undefeated Bektic Overwhelms Redmond
American Top Team prospect Mirsad Bektic kept his perfect professional record intact with a one-sided unanimous decision over Paul Redmond in an undercard clash at 145 pounds. All three cageside judges ruled in favor of Bektic (9-0, 2-0 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 30-25.
A replacement for the injured Alan Omer, Redmond (10-5, 0-1 UFC) was in survival mode from the start. Bektic cracked him with a few power punches on the feet but did the majority of his damage on the mat. The Florida-based Bosnian executed takedowns in all three rounds and shredded Redmond with punches and elbows from top position. Bektic did his best work in round two, where he climbed to full mount on the bloodied Irish grappler and ultimately settled on his back, blasting away with punches.
Pesta Spoils Erokhin Debut
Repeated takedowns, ground-and-pound and an unshakeable chin carried the once-beaten Viktor Pesta to a unanimous verdict against Konstantin Erokhin in a preliminary heavyweight battle. Pesta (10-1, 1-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 marks from the judges.
Erokhin (9-2, 0-1 UFC) came out firing, as he cut loose with powerful lefts and rights on the Czech. Pesta wobbled but never wavered, weathering the storm from the 33-year-old Russian. By the end of the first round, he had turned the tide in his favor. Over the final 10 minutes, Pesta grounded his counterpart with ease, piling up points with elbows and punches from half guard and side control. His gas tank emptied, Erokhin had nothing to offer in terms of meaningful defense.
The loss halted Erokhin’s nine-fight winning streak.
Irishman Seery Outduels Beal
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Neil Seery won for the sixth time in seven appearances, as he captured a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Chris Beal in an entertaining undercard scrap at 125 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it for Seery (15-10, 2-1 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Seery leaned on relentless pressure in the standup exchanges, an active bottom game and superior conditioning. Beal (10-1, 2-1 UFC) slowed noticeably after the first five minutes, nearly succumbing to a guillotine choke from the Irishman in a back-and-forth second round that saw the two flyweight scramble with reckless abandon. Seery turned up the heat with his hands in round three, where Beal continued to buckle to fatigue.
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