by Elias Cepeda, InsideFighting.com
Middleweight Amir Sadollah became the "Ultimate Fighter: Season 7" winner by submitting CB Dollaway with an arm bar from the guard in the first round Saturday night in Las Vegas. Middleweight Amir Sadollah became the "Ultimate Fighter: Season 7" winner by submitting CB Dollaway with an arm bar from the guard in the first round Saturday night in Las Vegas. Sadollah had previously submitted Dollaway with the same move in the tournament's semifinals, but after original fellow finalist Jesse Taylor was kicked off the finale card for his late night Las Vegas hotel antics and Dollaway won a second chance fight against Tim Credeur, a rematch between the two was set for the finale.
A favorite to win the entire season from the start, Dollaway was expected by many to overwhelm Sadollah in the finale despite his earlier loss to the fighter out of Richmond, Va. But just as he had done all throughout the tournament, during which the previously 0-0 fighter defeated four fighters in just six weeks with over 20 combined wins between them all, Sadollah exceeded expectations and again forced Dollaway to tap out, earning a six-figure contract with the UFC.
Dollaway, a former All-American wrestler from Arizona State University, put Sadollah on his back quickly with takedowns and showed improved guard passing ability. But Sadollah largely avoided sustaining any damage and eventually latched onto Dollaway's left arm with a straight arm bar off of his own back.
Referee Herb Dean expertly observed the hold from only inches away and as soon as Dollaway tapped Sadollah's leg once signifying his submission, he rightly jumped in, stopped the fight and saved Dollaway's extended arm from further damage. The charismatic Sadollah improved his professional record to 2-0 with the win but was initially too overcome with emotion to find something characteristically funny to say.
"I'm trying to think of something funny to say but it won't come out because I'm blown away that that just happened and that I'm talking with (UFC commentator and interviewer) Joe Rogan. Thank you guys for coming," Sadollah said immediately after being awarded the Ultimate Fighter 7 trophy by UFC President Dana White.
Sadollah now joins the ranks of former TUF champions like Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. It's a title he always dreamed of, and one he says he could get used to.
"I always wondered if I would hear those words and I tried not to think about it but I just heard it, and I like it," he said.
With the loss, Dollaway's record dips to 7-2.
In the night's main event, TUF season 3 middleweight winner Kendall Grove won a split decision over former champion Evan Tanner. Scores were 29-28 for Tanner, and 30-26 (twice) for Grove.
Grove used impressively effective scrappiness in the first two rounds to keep Tanner at bay and hurt with a plethora of both conventional Muay Thai clinch striking and unconventional strikes like one-legged knees and up kicks. In the second round, it appeared that a right hook to the temple and follow-up strikes from Grove would end Tanner's night.
But though the bearded yeoman was down, he proved not yet out as he survived the round. In the third and final round, Tanner managed his best efforts of the fight, landing an effective straight cross to the head of Grove on multiple occasions.
Grove got off of a two-fight losing streak with the win and improved his record to 10-5. Tanner lost his second consecutive fight and dropped to 34-8.
In other action, welterweight Diego Sanchez scored a third-round stoppage win over Luigi Fioravanti, lightweight Spencer Fisher beat Jeremy Stephens by unanimous decision, Matt Riddle beat his TUF 7 cast mate Dante Rivera by decision and Dustin Hazelett submitted Josh Burkman with an arm bar. TUF 7's Matt Brown also stopped Matt Arroyo, Andrew McFedries TKO'd Marvin Eastman, Dean Lister submitted Jeremy Horn and Rob Kimmons stopped Rob Yundt with a guillotine choke.
UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi has reported that the scheduled bout between TUF 7 participants Tim Credeur and Cale Yarbrough was cancelled after trace amounts of the prescription drug Adderall were found in Credeur's system during a prefight drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. According to Gerbasi, Credeur had informed the NSAC before Friday's weigh-ins that he had been taking the prescription drug up until five days prior.
After follow up tests were administered, the results came back Saturday morning still showing those trace amounts. Gerbasi also reports that NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer has stated no disciplinary action will be taken against Credeur because he was up front and honest about the situation. According to Kizer's statements to Gerbasi, Adderall is a banned substance because it has the potential to both increase risk of an athlete having a cardiac episode during competition and potentially enhance their performance.
