It was a long, strange and alcohol-induced trip to the finals of this season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
But the season has officially wrapped, and Amir Sadollah (0-0) and CB Dollaway (6-0) were the last two middleweights left standing when the music stopped.
And for the first-time ever the finals of the 16-man tournament style show will feature a rematch — Sadollah came from behind to defeat Dollaway in round three of their semifinal bout via submission (armbar).
Shortly thereafter, Jesse Taylor — the first fighter to reach the finals — got loaded on booze and went on a drunken rampage through one of the Fertitta’s casinos. He caused such an irresponsible and unforgivable ruckus that UFC President Dana White was forced to cut him.
That opened up the door for Dolloway and the other fighter eliminated in the semifinals, Tim Credeur, to get a second bite at the six-figure apple. The pair was called back to fight it out to see who would earn the right to challenge Sadollah for the TUF 7 crown at The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas, Nevada, this Saturday (June 21) on Spike TV.
It was Dollaway — one of the early favorites — who came out on top, defeating Credeur via a hard-fought unanimous decision.
Sadollah perhaps had the toughest road to the finals, taking out Steve Byrnes, Gerald Harris, Matt Brown and Dollaway in just six weeks. And he stopped them all early despite sustaining damage in most if not all of his fights.
He’s a super resilient and crafty fighter in the mold of UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Dollaway — an accomplished Arizona State University wrestling standout — relied primarily on his slick takedowns and ground and pound to put away David Baggett, Nick Klein, Cale Yarbrough and Credeur en route to the championship bout.
He’ll be out to prove that he was indeed the best fighter in the hose when he looks to avenge the semifinal loss to Sadollah this weekend.
If their first fight is any indication we should be in store for some solid action. And maybe even one last surprise.
To check out the most recent TUF 7 Finale fight card click here.
102 Comments »
CB gets redemption.
Redemption for what?
Losing a match where he laid on the guy for 12 minutes?
He got exposed as 1 dimensional, it wasn’t redemption he got, it was confirmation after he gassed on Tim too.
I was so stoked after the first fight of the show, now I am completely disappointed.
They should have had the last 2 fighters Jesse beat square off, that would have been better. He lost so you two get another chance. Not make Amir fight someone he already beat.
Either way, Amir wins it, CB hasn’t shown the ability to evolve yet. He’s Kos and if he’s lucky and works at it maybe he will be a contender someday. I just don’t expect it Saturday.
J-
Good post. I agree w/ you.
i want amir to win because cb is a c*cky b*stard, he thinks he is in another league compared to the rst. amir will have 2months to defend take downs etc. my prediction is amir by split decision.
CB’s wrestling is not quite as good as Kos’s, but CB is more well rounded than Kos was when he was on TUF. Better standup, better GnP, better submissions and better submission defense.
I had him picked to win the whole show right from the get go. However, I feel a little uneasy about my pick now… He had Amir beat by decision, but he got lazy and left his arm in there. Great move by Amir. CB had the full mount and then Amir’s back. He should have finished the fight, but he didn’t. Amir was to wiley. Amir showed how well rounded he was in his opening bout to get into the house against Byrnes.
I thought that CB had Tim finished in the second round. But Tim showed just how tough he is. Even though I was rooting for CB, I was happy to see Tim hang in there. Putting his gay tendancies to the side (lol, j/k), he seems like he is very down to earth and a kind hearted person. I wish the best to Tim. He should have himself a very easy fight at the finale against Cale Yarborough. He should submit Cale in all of about 1 minute.
Now for the finals… I wonder if CB will still be the betting favorite?? I actually think that he won’t be. I checked BetUs and BoDog, but there are no odds yet. I saw someone yesterday asking about odds for Fedor/Timmy. BoDog has them as:
Fedor -450
Timmy +350
J my man, you are right on the money. What a boring one dimensional cocky bastard. Tim’s stand-up is not that great, and he gave CB all he could handle. Amir’s stand-up and heart are on a whole different level. CB will try to lay and pray again in the finale. He wants no part of Amir standing.
Bad comparison, how has Kos not evolved since his debut??
Jesse was also very one-dimensional. Like CB and most fighters with a strong wrestling background, they simply sit on their opponent the whole round and wait for a decision. It is pretty boring to watch and one cant help but feel “this isn’t what its about” when watching the fight. Amir proved to be the best all around fighter especially with his surprising defense against the ground and pound of in gerald and CB. I’m glad he won. Even though I though CB should good potential, he proved one-dimensional.
I am very happy to see a rematch of CB vs. Amir in the Finals!
The 1st fihgt was entertaining, and the next one will be much better now that they get 2 months to train for the fight. Since Jesse got kicked off, CB really deserves to be in the finals, he basically won every single minute of every fight he fought on the show (prior to the crueder fight) before getting caught in the Armbar.
IMO, the 2 best guys are in the finals. Funny, at the beginning of the season I liked CB and Amir….well here we are boys!
Really quickly, I read that Tim Credeur is fighting Cale Yabrough of all people at the finale.
ViolentMike: I hope that is just a cruel Joke! U better be joking! I will be so pissed oFF if one of the best 3 fighters from the season is wasting his time fighting Cale “I dont have the skills to be in the UFC” Yarborough
I do hope that pretty boy Cramer gets to fight at the Finale, that kid could amount to something in the future.
Complete BS!!!! CB had his chance at Amir and lost, why should he get another one? So that first fight, which was a great fight between these two, was totally meaningless!! That ruins what was a really good fight! Secondly, Tim won that fight! He clearly won the first and third rounds… I hope Amir knocks him out in the finale because CB does not deserve to be The Ultimate Fighter!!!!
i dont think any round was clear! All rounds were very close…fact is CB fought hard to return and he does deserve to be in the finale. He might of also beaten Amir if he didnt get that armbar.. Props to both of them
Alright, the third round wasn’t clear, but I just watched it again. It was pretty close, but I have to give it to Tim. Oh well, pretty boring finale… don’t really care about Grove and Tanner, I like Diego, but I think he should win easily, and the final is a rematch? Go Amir! Kick CB’s cocky ass! All I can say is if CB wins, there better be Amir vs CB III.
I whole heartedly agee that if CB wins, that there MUST be an Amir/CB part 3.
Now, if CB went on to beat Amir by decision, 30-27 on all cards (yes, that’s what the scores would have been), and Amir then beat Tim. Then I would say that Amir does not deserve another shot at CB, he already had it and lost via domination.
But Amir got the come from behind submission win after CB pretty much dominated the fight for the first 13 minutes. At least this situation (the one that we have) works out better than if CB beat Amir and then Amir beat Tim.
vM: I would have given the decision to CB. HOw would u have judged the fight vs. Tim?
VM-
I didn’t see the fight that way. CB had some good takedowns and was effective half of the time with his GnP. His best shot was that cut under Amir’s eye.
Amir neutralized some of CB’s power strikes from the bottom.
Amir also hurt CB a couple of times during the stand up which is why CB took him to the ground.
Don’t get me wrong. CB fought like a warrior but to say that Amir was dominated is simply not true.
John regarding scoring the fight vs Tim, I actually gave round 1 to CB. Outside of the tiny little punch that just clipped CB, CB really had the better of Tim in that round. CB was not hurt at all. It was almost like a slip, except he had his balance, LOL. CB definitely won round two which was the easiest round to score. I can actually see how a judge could have made it 10-8, although I wouldn’t. Round 3 I’d give to Tim.
I asked for the Fedor Odds and all I have to say is DAAAAAMN! Sylvia gets no respect! I will still bet Fedor straight and involve him in some parlays!
Vm: I also, gave round 1 to CB. He clearly slipped and he did most of the damage. When both fighters are striking equally, it comes down to takedowns and Damage, and IMO CB wins rounds 1 and 2…. 2 without a doubt!
“He might of also beaten Amir if he didn’t get that armbar”. Lol. That’s like saying,”I would have kicked his @ss if he hadn’t knocked me out first.”
Dam!!! I wanted to see Amir/Jesse. For some reason I cant stand CB and was happy he lost. Hes one lucky MoFo that he gets another chance.
That’s like saying,”I would have kicked his @ss if he hadn’t knocked me out first.” thats sooo true!! i’m laughing my ass off!!
I totally agree, I just posted the same thing before I read your comment.
Bull… I had it 29-28 Tim.
100% agreed round 1 tim, round 2 CB round 3 Tim, if Tim was going to lose I knew it would be a split, when I heard unanimous I was excited Tim had won. Then CB…WHAT? Not by far the worst decision ever, but a tough one for Tim, and I see Amir getting a contract even if he loses. I mean if loses to CB they have to.
I actually gave round 1 to CB. Outside of the tiny little punch that clipped CB, CB really had the better of Tim in that round. CB definitely won round two which was the easiest round to score. I can actually see how a judge could have made it 10-8, although I wouldn’t. Round 3 I’d give to Tim.
It could of went either way…I had it 29 – 28 for CB
But i see how you got that…all the rounds except the 2nd was close
Agreed not the worst decision ever, but a rough one for Tim. I mean a dream lost on what could easily have been your decision. I was pretty disappointed. I think the Tim that showed up tonight, and the Amir that showed up every fight would have been 100% WAR!
What CB did with the take down at the end of the rounds is why the rule, if you do nothing with the take down it doesnt count. Rampage would tell him at the end of the rounds take him down, but CB wouldnt do anything. Thats probably why he got the decision. I was suprised with Creuder, after he got dominated by Jesse, he did good with CB.
Tim is a class act 100%. I hope he has a successful UFC career. He isn’t going to be beating Anderson Silva but if he strings a couple wins together on PPV undercards and UFN’s, we may see him on the main card of a PPV in less than 1 years time.
IMO, it was a very close fight, but when a fight comes down to being that close I think the difference is Damage points! CB inflicted much more damage on tim, than Tim did on him. Also, weather we like it or not those last second takedowns can change a round. I do not agree that takedowns should be counted as points, its just the way it is!
HOnestly, would have awarded the fight to CB, but Tim looked his best in that fight, he brought it and I cant wait to find out who he will face in the finale!
Cale Yarborough. Tim by submission one minute into the fight. I hope BetUs had odds on that fight!!!!!!
John, I’m not so confident about the Diego/CB parlay anymore… How do you feel?
same way that u feel! Amir is a gammer! When I stated at the begining of the season that I thought Amir would be a sleeper, it wasnt because I was overly impressed with his skills, it was his mental game. I think he is extremely strong mentally, has a great chin and is a warrior at heart….Its going to be a dangerous fight, but I wont be including CB in any parlay bets. Too dangerous of a fight to match it up with another fight and hope that both picks win.
I will just bet CB straight! If his conditioning is improved, and he actually uses a jab, and respects Amir’s submissions, he will win the fight! Also, I would like to see him tuck his chin more, and learn to not punch himself out!
Me too, round 1 and 3 to Tim. More active….I think Dana was leaning that way as well. I don’t think Tim was robbed though, close fight.
Ok I am not a judge by any means but how did Tim not get that decision. What fight were they watching? I had the fight 29-28 Tim Cause CB did win the second roung but not by much in my book. You know after the Kimbo – Thompson fight they should have known better than to give a stupid decision. Kick hi ass Amir
I loved Amir’s reaction when he submitted CB, reminded me alot of Forrest after he submitted Shogun! Running around with his hands on his head. Amir is like a littler version of Forrest, very resilient!
Same thought crossed my mind!
clearly amir is the best fighter in the hose…
personally, i couldn’t fight my way out of a hose.
Unfortunatly, outside of Dan Simmler or whatever his last name was (the guy from 300 that got his jaw shattered by Riddle), Amir took the most punishment in the house.
Jeremy May also got served up a personalized beatdown by Matt Brown topped off win one of the most entertaining KO’s I’ve ever seen.
THEY DHOULD OF GOT TIM TO FIGHT CB.
CB was a ringer from the begining.. why have all these amateur fighters and then bring in cb dollaway??? IT WAS UNFAIR to the rest of them.. CB was gonna get to the ufc eventually anyways the guys amazing. same shit with Rashad evans , joe stevenson and Forest Griffin.
CB was 6-0 coming into the show and Tim was 10-2.
CB’s toughest opponents thus far were Joe Bunch and Hans Marrero.
Tim has fought against top competition in the MW division in his two losses – they came to Chael Sonnen and Joey Villasenior. His wins have come against nobodies for the most part, unless you count Matt Major or Jesse Forbes.
CB only had 6 fights, he belonged on TUF, he obviously wasnt better than everyone in the house, seeing that he lost to Amir. Joe Stevnson ran through the house for the most part an already had like 30 pro fights.
hit submit too early…. Mac Danzig was also VERY overqualified.
No, Matt Major and Jesse Forbes are definitely Garbage. Forbes was a cocky prick on the show, I couldn’t stand him.
Right, and those are his most notable wins. Meaning, he hasn’t beaten anyone even mediocre.
Couldn’t wait until after the west coast watched it, nice spoiler
you were dumb enough to come to the site before watching it. What would you expect?
That fight was a total joke Tim should be in the finale. CB lost and Rampage knows he lost.
i didnt watch the episode.. anyone got a link?
http://www.mmatko.com/
That site usually has all the good fights a day or so after they happen.
i have tim winning round 1, cb with round 2, and depending on how you judge the 3rd, i think tim landed more shots, but cb had the advantage in position and damage done.
personally i would of given it to cb.
Absolutely. CB controlled that fight. That is why the dumb asses in Vegas gave him the unanimous.
CB had the octagon control and completely dictated where the fight took place.
True, but he also chose to take naps in Tim’s guard rather than pass or strike or inflict any damage. This is one of those situations where the athletic commissions need to rethink how fights are scored. CB got plenty of takedowns, but Tim was able to sweep and get back to his feet without taking any damage every time.
CB beat Tim fair and square. But I agree that Amir CB 2 is kind of lame. I’m expecting that if it is close but CB wins they will both get contracts, it’s only fair. I’m going to be rooting for Amir.
CB’s just so boring. Guess in the finale someone’s still going to just lay all over Amir and hump his leg.
You guys do know that CB only has had 1 pro fight go to decision. He typically finished his fights.
CB by Peruvian Necktie!
CB definitely won. The UFC officiating is nothing like the NBA. Just ask Matt Hamill.
Seriously – CB won.
I’m very dissapointed that we’re going to have to watch CB fight Amir again in the finale. I would rather have watched Amir and Matt Brown fight again. I would also rather Tim have fought Amir in the finale just because we hadn’t seen that fight. When JT Money got kicked out of the finals, I was hoping they’d still let him fight in the finale against CB. Can’t get better than JT Money vs. CB Doberman. Then have Amir fight somebody else. CB has turned into Jesse from the season of Bisping and Hammil.
Don’t understand your last sentence.
But regarding Jesse Taylor vs CB. CB would own him. Jesse’s standup is AWFUL. He is the true Lay N Pray fighter from this season. He has no submission game either. Jesse wouldn’t even stand up against Tim. If you fear Credeur standup, you will not stand and bang with anyone.
Also, CB is the better wrestler. In college, CB and Jesse wrestled twice. CB won both times.
When Jesse got to boot, Dana did tell him to call in a couple months. Wonder what that could be about?
Doesn’t that last fight of Amirs count?
I thought it was 3 round and not an exhibition fight.
So wouldn’t Amir be 1-0?
I could be wrong.
Any fight that you see on TUF is an exhibition fight. Its that way so the results dont have to be publicised before the show goes out on TV. And the reason that fighters stats W-L-D are not affected.
Correct. Results have to be posted immediately for pro fights. That is the reason.
Also I was just thinking, the losers of each of the fights do not earn any money. So if they don’t get paid, they are not professional, they are amateur.
What’s up with Cale In the Finale there is Gerald, that marine guy Sene that showed heart even Mississippi who got beat in the first show, what about Dan Cramer he deserved to be in the Finale.
Dan Cramer left American Top Team over here in CT to go train with the big dogs down in Coconut Creek Florida. I was fully expecting to see him on the card for the finale.
What’s up with that? If they are going to let Cale fight at the finale just cuz he’s boys with Forrest, than they should have booked him against Cramer. At least that would be a more exciting fight than Tim. Tim should take Cale down and submit him with ease. But Tim is a warrior and loves to fight> I expect him to keep the fight standing a little longer than people expect.
The decision to bring back CB was B.S.!! Amir beat him and should not have to face him again! They should have brought back the two top guys that Amir never fought (Tim and someone else). They only brought back CB because UFC wanted the best championship fight, not the fairest fight. CB wants revenge…Amir wants to show the world the first win over CB was no joke, Forest’s guy Vs. Rampage’s guy…..blah, blah, blah!! A great story line but I guess ratings are more important than integrity. I have been a huge fan of the UFC but they are giving me less of a reason to be such a strong fan…..Contract issues with stars, quality of pay per view cards keep dropping, less free stuff on TV. I’m waiting for Dana White to bring in Don King and have 1 or 2 good fights a card with controversy in the decisions.
Dude your last three lines, I think you just described EliteXC.
CALLING ALL CANADIANS.
if you missed this episode .. they are replaying it on RSO sportsnet EAST. 12:00 am eastern.
I thought tim took it in the last round, but it was close, props to CB though,and i admit i was wrong JT is the drunken idiot he appeared to be, CB vs Amir should be a good one, i hope Amir takes it. hope he’s as good a loser if amir takes him again. hope he does
Amir’s comeback reminded me of Big Nog…very nice, indeed
You knew that if it were a decision, there wasnt a chance in hell that CB was not going to get it.
Sure it was close, and there haev been much worse. Tim had his chances, CB was gassed by mid rd 2.
Cant wait for Cb to gas in the final and just try to lay on Amir till the end. WAR AMIR!!! I hope Amir turn CB’s underbite into a “NO” bite at all and knock his crooked ass smile down his throat!!!!
Season after season, it is getting bad when you know who most likely will be in the finals. Enough TUF. Getting old. WE all knew that CB was the UFC’s new marketing “toy” and that they wanted him to win it all
Wasn’t the 2nd round a 10-8 round for CB? Two knockdowns and a near stoppage? I could understand a cry for a split decision, but not an outright win for Tim. The late take down in the first kept that a 1 point round.
What punch knocked CB down in the first? I thought he looked less impressive then we where lead to believe.
CB is just overhyped badly. Sure he is a decent fighter, but that is about it. Needs a lot of work. and sure with a 9 fight contract, they will feed CB fights in which he will be favored to win by at -300 or -350 and slowly make him look like a superstar.
Anyone can look good when they put a beatdown on someone your have outclassed and outstrengthed. And the UFC is good at making average fighters look really good by doing this.
Alchol ruins peoples lives… thats why i only smoke that Mmm Mmm Good.
i feel bad for jesse hes still young and still learning lifes lessons. lets face everyone has that one night where you drink waaaaay to much and stuff gets really out of hand. He will learn .
I hope dana has him back when he matures. Alchol changes the way people act BIG TIME. I really hope jesse is strong willed dude cause this could really F him up badily.
Sour Diesel, Doug Benson has a movie out called “Super High Me”. In a standup act, he said that if Morgan Spurlock can have a movie “Super Size Me”about eating McDonalds all day, then I want a movie about smoking pot all day for 30 days, “Super High Me”. He is a big time pot head. I liked him alot ever since seeing him on Best Week Ever when it first came out and was rooting for him to make Last Comic Standing two years ago, and was rooting for him to win it last season. Now that I know he’s a pot head, I like him that much more.
On the radio he said its available at Best Buy and Borders. i will be buying it today.
i gotta agree theres no better state to watch a fight in then after a few rips of the sour D!
And I’m almost out of my sour diesel, at least for the next 9 weeks.
I got AK47, Cough, Sage, and Shishkaberry rounded out my headies right now!
even though they showed the fight in hightlight form i still see Tim winning rounds 1 & 3
And want this supposed to be a 90 mins. it was only 60???
Wasnt this supposed to be a 90 mins. it was only 60???
No, it was 90. You should smoke a little less of that Mmm Mmm Good. lol
LOL, Diesel, they showed the whole fight in a 90 minute episode here in the United States. Where you live?
i think cb will win this next time
but i wonder if amir is happy to fight him again or upset cause he already beat him
It shouldnt matter to Amir if he beat Cb before, he should just beat him again. As much as i think it sucks, a fight is a fight.
Yeah, like Amir dominated that fight…
Amir rocked CB more than once. CB “the Blanket” Dollaway may have laid on Amir for most of the fight, but was less than impressive. In the end, it only matters whose hand is raised.
Actually, in the end, it only matter who’s hand is raised on JUNE 21st!!!!!
Who cares that CB lost an exhibition fight against a non-professional fighter. Ok, that sentence was a big stretch, but I stand by my first one.
And that’s kinda sad. Amir won. That should be it. But I understand they have to do this for t.v.
Damn! Amir is the man. Win or lose, he’s getting a contract no doubt. Tons of upside in Amir. Humble too.
CB was wayyy over rated. His cardio is pretty suspect and I thought his wrestling would be much better.
Finals:
Amir by decision
Kendall Grove by KO/TKO
Rampage by mutilation
CB was definitely gassed in both of his last fights. He could have finished Tim but was too tired to seal the deal. Amir wore him out and he left an arm behind.
Amir is my hero. A very interesting fighter.
Notice how CB didn’t want anything to do with Tim’s jits during the last part of the 3rd round. No doubt in the back of his mind CB didnt want to get caught in another submission.
I thought CB had a more well rounded game. But, lack of cardio, KO power, and submission skills makes me think he’s more similar to JT.
CB’s face bugs the hell outta me! Gotta give the guy props for me being from my neck of the woods….hes skilled and can definately beat Amir via ground and pound or on cuts….but his cardio and striking are seriously suspect! Tito Jr without the flare but instead a gay sneer?
I don’t think that CB should have been given another chance to get into the finale. He LOST to Amir and Tim lost to Jessie. Therefore, Tim should have been brought back alone to fight Amir. Anyways, I hope Amir kicks the hell outta cocky CB.
If Jesse Taylor wasn’t stupid, he would’ve won the whole thing…He would’ve killed Amir. Man, I was hoping it was Jeremy May who did it, but it couldn’t have been…
Amir has been underestimated this whole season. Jesse would not have gassed as quick as CB but probably is not smart enough to deal with Amir’s rubber guard. For someone with a 0-0 record his BJJ skills are awesome.
i love amir’s attitude “i remember distinctly when he cut me with that big elbow, i was thinkin ‘thats probably gonna bleed’” not word for word what he said but i thought it was great
I don’t think it was fair that CB got a second chance. CB already LOST to Amir, fair and square. Tim lost to Jessie. Therefore Tim should have been the only person to come back and fight Amir in the end. CB was only brought back because he is the UFC favorite. I hope Amir kicks his a** and breaks his arm with another armbar.
When you look at Amir’s four fights on the show, he fought the toughest guys in the place, he wasn’t handed any easy task…Gerald Harris, Steve Byrnes, Matt Brown, and CB it’s crazy! But common CB’s fights were a joke, Nick Klein and Cale Yarbrough I mean they weren’t the most skilled opponents. But then when he fights Amir he loses, and couldn’t even finish Tim, and gassed in both of those fights!………..Amir better kick CB’s ass in the finale and make a statement that he worked his ass off to get where he is, and he truly is The Ultimate Fighter.
………..and is it just me or does CB come off like a freakin serial killer, he’s a creepy dude. Amir send him back to the psych word!!!!!
Maybe I’m wrong here but it seems like all the fighters from C.B’s camp at AZ Combat Sports are cocky and arrogant when they really haven’t done anything yet. Jesse Forbes trains there and he got worked in the UFC. Jaime Varner trains there and granted he is doing good in the WEC, he didn’t amount to crap in the UFC. Ray Steinbuss trains there and he hasn’t done anything anywhere except Bodog where he beat a tomato can or two. and now CB trains there and really who has this kid beat? I think Amir exposed him and it looked to me like after CB tasted a loss he was really tentative and just a shadow of himself for that Tim fight.
Win, lose, or draw, Amir’s locked in a UFC deal. You can tell by the way Dana acts around him. Amir is everything that Dana and the UFC is looking for. He’s well-rounded, has a never-say-die ethic, speaks well, has a funny self-depreciating manner, and comes across as an underdog. This is exactly the kind of fighter Dana wants. You’ll see lots of Amir in the future.
Yeah Amir is very different. He’s the only guy that doesn’t trash talk, he’s not cocky, doesn’t make wild @ss statements about breaking peoples faces. He’s like a regular normal guy that happens to be funny. You never see that type in MMA. Can’t help but like the man. Hope he wins again!!
That Amir rocks….he such a great dude. He is the first one who does not complain of fighting again the same guy…come on …. he is such a great fighter. I hope he wins again. CB is just a cocky moron.
go amir!!