At the beginning of this season’s Ultimate Fighter, all the talk was about C.B. Dolloway. He was the odds on favorite to win this season’s tournament, and was the first pick during fighter selections. Amir Sadollah wasn’t even mentioned as a potential winner.

Looking back on things, maybe he should have been. He had one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history to open the show, and won another scintillating fight over Gerald Harris. Even after Sadollah beat Matt Brown, a beast of a fighter, C.B. Dolloway was still considered the favorite. C.B. is definately a talented fighter, but Amir had the tougher road to the semifinals.

Then, Sadollah and Dolloway faced off, and Sadollah pulled out a gutsy win with an armbar. At that point, Sadollah should have been tagged the favorite in the tournament.

Last night’s finals proved that point. C.B. Dolloway may be a talented fighter and a physical specimen, but his weakness is now obvious: his fighter IQ. The finale fight was like a replay of the semifinal match between the two, except this time, Amir caught him in the same armbar submission in the first round instead of the third. Sadollah almost looked shocked that Dolloway had gotten caught again. Maybe he even shocked himself a little bit.

Still, last night’s fight showed that Sadollah was the better fighter and the deserving winner. There will be those who will say that Dolloway will prove to be the better fighter in the long run, but I’m not buying it. He had a second chance, and wasn’t smart enough to avoid the armbar and take advantage of the gift that Jesse Taylor gave him by getting booted from the finals. Sadollah was smart enough and tough enough to rise to the occasion once again, even though most thought he had no chance.

In rising to the occasion, Sadollah has made himself an instant star. His self-deprecating personality seems to have struck a chord with fight fans–you heard who got the bigger cheers last night during the fighter introductions. The comparisons to Forest Griffin probably aren’t that far off.

Aside from his personality, it’s obvious that Sadollah’s fights won’t disappoint. He has an exciting style, much like past Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez, and that’s what fight fans will like the most.

One thing is for certain–don’t bet against Amir Sadollah in the future.