MMA Crunch

Adding to the allure of UFC’s Fight Night 14 on July 19th will be a match-up between The Ultimate Fighter 7 stars CB Dollaway and Jesse Taylor. At one time, both fighters had the inside track on becoming The Ultimate Fighter but neither was able to seal up that title. Taylor didn’t even get a shot inside the octagon as a drunken tirade through the city of Las Vegas got him kicked off the show. Dollaway actually had his chance, but got caught in an arm bar applied by Ultimate Fighter champion Amir Sadollah.

Dollaway rolled into the finale on a hot streak and even started to take control of the finale through the first couple of minutes. Nevertheless, one false slippage ended his hopes of earning that illustrious six figure contract.

For Taylor, his dismissal from the show was just as deplorable as his the actions that got him booted from TUF. It was a pitiful sight as he shed crocodile tears when Dana White told him he would no longer be part of the show. Nevertheless, that is all part of the past and now each fighter will have a chance for redemption.

The fight could very well be billed The Ultimate Fighter finale that never happened. But regardless of what the fight is being billed, it provides a second chance for each fighter. And although there are no more eliminations, both fighters know that another loss would surely affect his future in the UFC.

The series is over, the backstage cameras are off and now the payday is real. But in order for that payday to balloon in the future, a victory is a prerequisite. While a loss would not necessarily end either fighter’s UFC career, it could limit their appearances in the future.

So even though TUF is over, it is essentially do or die time for both Dollaway and Taylor. They each have another chance to make good on a fight that was supposed to happen. Furthermore, Sadollah’s defeat of Dollaway wasn’t exactly a gripping bout that had fans on the edges of their seats. Perhaps a Taylor-Dollaway bout will finally provide fans with a more exciting bout that will ultimately wrap up the seventh season.

But that season is over and a new one has begun for both Taylor and Dollaway. UFC Fight Night 14 will mark their debut into a new season even though it is already a second chance for both fighters.

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The ultimate aspect of mixed martial arts is that any fighter can win at any given moment. Saturday night’s “Ultimate Fighter Finale” between CB Dollaway and Amir Sadollah proved just that. Dollaway came out and took immediate control of the fight and looked to have a handle on the early action. Sadollah hardly had a chance to find himself on the offensive as Dollaway seemed ready to cruise to a victory and become the seventh fighter to be crowned the Ultimate Fighter.

Nevertheless, Dollaway’s fate changed in an instant when Sadollah caught him in an arm bar and forced the heavily favored Dollaway to tap. Just three minutes into the first round, Sadollah had sealed up season seven of the Ultimate Fighter. Dollaway paced across the octagon with disbelief written all over his face. In the world of mixed martial arts, even the heavily favored fighter is susceptible to a loss at any given moment.

It was truly a moment for exultation on Sadollah’s behalf as he walked away with a six figure contract to fight in the UFC. But the road ahead will not lie on a bed of roses. Sadollah will now have to contend with much stiffer competition in mixed martial arts’ most elite organization.

What lies ahead

All Sadollah needed to do was feast his upon the night’s main event to catch a glimpse of what the future has in store. Nearly two years ago to the day, Kendall Grove capped off season three of the Ultimate Fighter with a unanimous decision over Ed Herman. But since then, Grove has struggled to make a name for himself in the UFC.

Following Sadollah’s win, Grove used up all three rounds to win a split decision against an aged Evan Tanner. Grove peppered Tanner with jabs and added a few fierce elbows and knees throughout the fight. Yet, Grove could not finish off his slower, weaker and much older opponent.

The win was a must for Grove coming off two straight first round losses. The win also improved Grove’s post Ultimate Fighter record to a mere 3-2. Although Grove won the fight rather convincingly, the win didn’t convince anyone that he is a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. It is a future Grove probably didn’t foresee after he walked out of the octagon as the Ultimate Fighter two years ago.

Simply because Grove has had his share of struggles in the UFC does not mean Sadollah will follow the same path. So how can Sadollah truly expect to compete with fighters of a much higher caliber? The answer to that question came from inside the octagon. Sadollah’s victory of Dollaway is proof that any UFC fighter has a chance at any moment on the mat, especially the more technical fighters.

Granted, Sadollah probably doesn’t entertain visions of struggling to a split decision against an Evan Tanner type two years into the future. But only time will tell how his future will pan out. He is already armed with much more humility than Grove who displayed a bit of arrogance before, during and after his bout with Tanner.

Ultimate Fighters

On Saturday night, the UFC audience was able to witness back to back Ultimate Fighter champions of a very different nature. Yet, as different as every fighter is, they all share one common trait. Any one can fall victim to an arm bar at any given moment.

With so many ways to slip in a submission, it is extremely difficult to ever crown a true Ultimate Fighter. Nonetheless, other fighters will go on to follow in the footsteps of Grove and Sadollah as the Ultimate Fighter series continues. The names my change although the sport will remain the same. For it is not the ultimate fighter that makes the sport what it is, but rather the ultimate fight itself.

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