4. Niklas Backstrom vs. Mike Wilkinson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmgxEg-1fQk Weight Class: Featherweight Submission wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist Niklas Backstrom remains undefeated in his career (80 (1)) and is coming off a bulldog choke finish over Tom Niinimäki at UFC Fight Night 41 in Germany. He opens the main card of UFC Fight Night 53 in Sweden where he'll have the backing of his local crowd, as he fights out of Stockholm where the event is being held. Opponent Mike Wilkinson (8-1) is 1-1 in the UFC and is pretty much a sacrificial lamb in this bout. It'll be a tall order to go into enemy territory and upset Backstrom - and Wilkinson has heard it. He's none to happy about it either, which may be his one hope: he'll be fired up in Stockholm. Hearing that Backstrom himself is expecting to win, Wilkinson called the Swede a "cheeky little b----." Maybe so, but we're still expecting the swede to win, by TKO somewhere in the first two rounds.
Jay Anderson
Contributor
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
See more from
Jay