There’s so much going on in the world of MMA it’s hard to fit it all into one blog. That’s why I’m starting a new feature here on MMA Shoot: every few days I’ll post a summary of the latest and greatest news from the MMA world. Of course, I’m calling the new feature “The Shoot.” Without further adieu, let’s get to the first edition.

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MMARated.com is reporting that Rich Franklin will move up to 205 to face Matt Hamill at UFC 88. This adds to an already packed card, including Chuck Liddell v. Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson v. Rousimar Palhares, Karo Parisyan v. Yoshiyuki Yoshida, and James Lee v. Tim Boetsch.

MMA Junkie has also confirmed the bout.

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C.B. Dolloway: “…I didn’t fully commit to the tap…”

Written by Lex on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 in UFC.

C.B. Dolloway

MMA Weekly had some interesting comments from C.B. Dolloway yesterday regarding his submission loss to Amir Sadollah at the Ultimate Fighter Finale:

“With the tap, I didn’t fully commit to the tap, but I did hit him once,” said the Tempe, Ariz. native. “I guess they ruled that a tap. I thought you had to go on and start tapping out. I did hit him once. Right as I did that, I felt my arm get into a position where I could get out. At that point Herb (Dean) ruled it as a tap out.”

Right. So now we’re talking about the degrees of tapping? This is the most confusing thing I’ve ever heard. And I thought check swings in baseball were hard to judge…

But seriously, C.B. needs to stop making excuses and just admit that he lost. Anyone else with me on wanting Amir v. C.B. III?

Sadollah Really Wasn’t the Underdog

Written by Lex on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 in MMA, UFC.

Amir Sadollah

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.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale Discussion: Evan Tanner v. Kendall Grove

Written by Lex on Saturday, June 21st, 2008 in UFC.

tuf7logo.jpg

It’s almost time for the finale of this season’s Ultimate Fighter. The main event features Evan Tanner v. Kendall Grove in a Middleweight clash. Here’s the full card:

Main Card 

  • Middleweight Bout: Evan Tanner v. Kendall Grove
  • TUF Tournament Finale Middleweight Bout: C.B. Dolloway v. Amir Sadollah
  • Welterweight Bout: Diego Sanchez v. Luigi Fioravanti
  • Lightweight Bout: Spencer Fisher v. Jeremy Stephens

Prelims

  • Middleweight Bout: Jeremy Horn v. Dean Lister
  • Middleweight Bout: Matthew Riddle v. Dante Rivera
  • Welterweight Bout: Josh Burkman v. Dustin Hazelett
  • Middleweight Bout: Marvin Eastman v. Drew McFedries
  • Middleweight Bout: Rob Kimmons v. Rob Yundt
  • Welterweight Bout: Matt Arroyo v. Matt Brown
  • Middleweight Bout: Tim Credeur v. Cale Yarbrough

I’m really excited to see if Amir can pull it off again against C.B. Dolloway. If he can keep it standing, he’s definitely got a chance. I think that’s his strength here, even though he beat C.B. with an armbar in their last fight. I hate to see Team Rampage lose, but I think you have to root for Amir here–he’s just a great story.

I’m also excited to see Spencer Fisher v. Jeremy Stephens. That fight should be off the charts. The main event should also be solid, but I think it might end up as a ground war if Tanner can dictate the pace. In a recent appearance on Inside MMA, Tanner sounded like he was really focusing on his ground attack for this one. That should be a nice change of pace since I’ve been watching a lot of EliteXC lately.

It’s great to see some of the guys from the show on the preliminary card–I’ll pick Tim Credeur in an easy win over Cale Yarbrough (why is he on this card?), and I’ll take Matt Brown over Matt Arroyo. Finally, in a battle of two guys from this season, I think Matthew Riddle beats Dante Rivera in a close one.

Discuss TUF Finale here.



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