If you ask any of the Brazilians in attendance at Saturday’s UFC on FX 7 event, Daniel Sarafian was absolutely swindled out of a decision victory in the evening’s co-main event.
In reality, the fight between Sarafian and The Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. Dollaway was dead even heading into the final round, which was a back-and-forth round that could have been scored in either man’s favor.
After the hard-fought loss in the evening’s Fight of the Night, Sarafian unfortunately joins the long list of Ultimate Fighter alumni who came up short in their Octagon debut. After the razor-thin decision, it’s time to take a look at what’s next for TUF: Brasil fighter Daniel Sarafian.
Sarafian is a short and stocky powerhouse who utilizes looping punches and wild haymakers while standing, but also has a dangerous submission game at his disposal in the event that the fight hits the canvas.
Choosing an opponent for the Brazilian is fairly simple. Considering his lower-tier placement on the roster, as long as he faces someone also on the bottom rung of the division, it’s an acceptable pairing.
However, considering the excitement put forth by Sarafian against an 11-fight UFC veteran like Dollaway, there is no problem with giving the Sao Paulo native another UFC notable who happens to be down on his luck.
The signs point to a fellow slugger who prefers to bang but doesn’t mind submitting foes if absolutely necessary: Chris “The Crippler” Leben.
Chris Leben is one of the most popular stars to ever step foot into the Octagon. Part of that has to do with his memorable appearance on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, but primarily, it is because he is a game fighter with an iron chin and a desire to end contests in violent fashion.
At the pinnacle of his career, Leben won his first five contests inside the Octagon. However, his biggest wins came years later when he finished highly regarded Yoshihiro Akiyama and Wanderlei Silva.
Currently, Leben is on a career-worst 1-3 stretch in his most recent bouts. His most recent loss came against wrestler Derek Brunson at UFC 155, although he was previously scheduled to meet unranked Karlos Vemola on the card.
A fight between Sarafian and Leben is perfect for any Brazilian card, as the hometown star will be beloved by the audience, while Leben has the name-value to support main-card placement on any event.
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