C.B. Dollaway is on a mission to break into the top 10 of the middleweight division, and he’s looking for the quickest route possible.
The Ultimate Fighter alum picked up a big wave of momentum last weekend by going down to Brazil and derailing highly touted prospect Cezar Ferreira, and less than a week later, “The Doberman” already has his next opponent lined up.
On Friday afternoon, the UFC UK announced via Twitter (per the MMA Fighting Newswire) that the Power MMA fighter will face surging contender Francis Carmont in the co-main event of Fight Night 41 in Berlin on May 31.
The bout will feature a matchup between two of the fastest rising fighters in the 185-pound ranks, with the winner moving in to face the bigger names in the division, while the loser will ultimately be reshuffled in a deck that is becoming increasingly more competitive.
The former Arizona State University wrestling standout has found success in three of his last four showings, with his most recent outing resulting in a stunning upset victory over “Mutante” last Sunday in Natal, Brazil.
His win over the Team Blackzilians fighter marked the second time in 14 months that Dollaway had taken the trip down to South America and knocked off a talented prospect inside the Octagon as he defeated Daniel Sarafian back in January 2013.
His only setback on this stretch came when he was edged out by Tim Boetsch via split decision at UFC 166. While he ultimately took the loss, Dollaway’s performance against “The Barbarian” was still impressive, as he showed marked improvements in his stand-up skills.
The Arizona-based fighter got things back on track in Brazil, and Carmont will be looking to do the same when the Octagon touches down in Berlin this summer. The Tristar fighter recently had an 11-fight winning streak brought to an end when he was defeated by former Strikeforce middleweight champion and current UFC contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza back in February.
Prior to his bout with “The Alligator,” Carmont had been successful in all six of his showings under the UFC banner. That level of success put him on the cusp of breaking through into the next tier of the middleweight division.
However, his setback in Jaragua do Sul ultimately cooled off the momentum he had built. But with things heating up at 185 pounds, both Carmont and Dollaway will have an opportunity to remain active in the hunt for bigger things when they step into the cage on May 31.
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.
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