Preview: UFC on ESPN 14 ‘Whittaker vs. Till’ Prelims

Welterweights

Ramazan Emeev (18-4) vs. Niklas Stolze (12-3)
Odds: Emeev (-380), Stolze (+315)

Emeev has quietly put together a solid UFC campaign, but the Russian's last fight raised some concerns. Emeev's first three UFC bouts weren't particularly exciting, but they were one-sided wins for the Russian; he was reliably able to keep pressuring forward and neutralize his foes, typically by turning things into a grind. But in that last bout, a loss against Anthony Rocco Martin, Emeev just got headed off at the pass. Martin was able to hit a few range strikes and stuff some takedowns, and while Emeev had his moments during the fight, he seemed content to just coast to a loss.

He'll look to rebound against German newcomer Stolze, who's putting together a solid game and can do a bit of everything. Stolze at least has a commitment to action, which may be enough to throw Emeev off, but otherwise this looks like a fight that the Russian can take over and slow down if he's anywhere near peak form. The pick is Emeev via decision.

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