UFC Fight Night 38: Nelson vs. Akhmedov

Gunnar Nelson (11-0-1) vs. Omari Akhmedov (12-0)

Unbeaten fighters Gunnar Nelson and Omari Akhmedov will try to move up the ladder in the welterweight class when they square off in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 38 in London.

Since starting his pro career with a draw, Nelson has won 11 straight fights, including a 2-0 record in the UFC. In his last match against Jorge Santiago, he was able to outlast his opponent for the unanimous decision. However, that was more than a year ago (Feb. 16, 2013) so there is a concern over rusty Nelson will be in the Octagon. Part of the reason he has had such a long time in between fights is because on Oct. 29, he escaped a potentially fatally car accident with only minor injuries. Nelson is the type of fighter that fans flock too, as he goes out and will put on a show for the crowd. He will be put to the test on Saturday though against fellow unbeaten Akhmedov, who sent a message in his first UFC event. Akhmedov delivered a vicious knockout to Thiago Perpetuo in his last match on Nov. 9. He is a very big and tough welterweight who uses his size and strength to overpower his opponents. While he is off to a great start in the UFC, he has not faced a fighter like Nelson in his career. In the end, NELSON will prove to be too much for Akhmedov, getting yet another victory.

"Gunni" Nelson has 11 victories in his career, with six of them coming by way of submission. He also brings four knockout victories into this match, with his most recent fight being the lone decision victory. Of these 10 finishes, nine have occurred in the first round. Nelson, who hails from Iceland, will have a huge advantage in this match when it comes to takedown accuracy, completing 60% of his takedown attempts, compared to just 20% by Akhmedov. The 25-year-old Nelson has elite speed and quickness, using that to wear his opponents down early, setting them up for a submission later in the fight. He is also a great defender, avoiding 65% of the attempted strikes he sees, which is significantly better than his opponent's 36% defense. If he is able to take control of this fight early, his stamina could be enough to get the win. However, if this turns into a brawl, he will have his hands full with the fists of his opponent.

Akhmedov is looking to end the fight by knockout, as six of his 12 career victories have come in this fashion. He also has four wins by submission and just two by decision. Of these 10 finishes, all 10 have occurred in the first round (five wins in less than 2 minutes), so this could be a quick fight no matter who wins. "Lakec" Akhmedov will bring a huge advantage into this fight in strikes landed, as he lands 3.98 per minute compared to just 2.75 for Nelson. He is also significantly more accurate with punches, landing 70% of his strikes, compared to 57% for Nelson. The Russian-born fighter also has a big advantage in takedown average at 4.27, compared to 2.42 for Nelson. The 26-year-old Akhmedov, whose 6-foot-0 stature gives him a one-inch height advantage on Saturday, has the ability to win this bout, especially if he keeps this fight on his feet.