Tag: Amir Sadollah

UFC on Fuel TV 3- Post-Fight Recap

With his victory over Dustin Poirier last night at UFC on Fuel TV 3, Chan Sung Jung established himself as an elite fighter in the 135 pound division.  He didn’t turn the fight into an.


With his victory over Dustin Poirier last night at UFC on Fuel TV 3, Chan Sung Jung established himself as an elite fighter in the 135 pound division.  He didn’t turn the fight into an impossible to score brawl.  He didn’t catch Poirier with an early punch.  He was clearly the better fighter from the opening bell until the fourth round when he finished with a D’arce choke after dropping Poirier with an uppercut followed by a flying knee.  Poirier did well with his jab and may have won the third round with it but Jung was always the more dangerous fighter and never seemed to be in any danger.  The only weakness Jung showed was in his stamina as he appeared to tire toward the end of the third round.  He mentioned before the fight that he struggled with the weight cut.  He and his team will need to figure out a way to improve on that process to allow him to maximize his stamina for five round fights in the future.  But aside from that, his performance makes it impossible to consider him as anything other than one of the top featherweights in the world.  The win puts him no more than one fight away from a title shot and at the moment, he looks to be one of the few fighters in the division willing to face Jose Aldo.  Jung now has consecutive victories over top ten featherweights in Mark Hominick and Poirier and adding that to his entertainment value and marketability makes him the most likely candidate to face Aldo, provided he defeats Eric Koch at UFC 149 in July.  
 
Donald Cerrone didn’t have to prove that he was one of the best in the world in his weight class because we already knew he was.  But he did remind us just in case we had forgotten by dominating Jeremy Stephens for fifteen minutes.  By the second round, Cerrone seemed to be playing with Stephens and treating the fight more like a sparring match.  He used his kicks to maintain his reach advantage and Stephens was never able to close the distance enough to land punches.  Cerrone repeatedly battered his opponent with punching combinations punctuated with brutal leg kicks.  By the third round, he was even able to land a knockdown with a low kick.  Stephens hung in the fight and continued to throw punches, which if they landed, could have done some damage.  But he couldn’t get inside Cerrone’s reach and often led himself into counter knees to the body.  Cerrone belongs in the title discussion but with Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar scheduled to fight in August and Nate Diaz already next in line, Cerrone is going to have to continue to fight through the absurd gauntlet of the UFC lightweight division if he wants a shot at the belt.
 
In other action on the card, Amir Sadollah earned a win with a questionable split decision over Jorge Lopez.  Neither fighter was overly impressive and both had chances to assert themselves and earn a clear victory.  Because they did not, the judges were left with a difficult fight to score and in that scenario, the fighters have only themselves to blame if they lose.  Lopez won the first round and Sadollah the second with the third being the round in question.  Two of the judges gave it to Sadollah based on his striking in the middle of the round and that was enough to earn him the win.  Despite the win, Sadollah will need to bring more to the cage in his next fight if he hopes to fulfill his promise as an Ultimate Fighter winner.
 
Yves Jabouin dominated Jeff Hougland and did everything except finish the fight.  Hougland showed a strong heart and could have allowed the fight to be stopped multiple times but forced to Jabouin to earn the stoppage, which Jabouin was unable to do.  Jabouin dropped Hougland in the first round with a spinning back kick to the body but was unable to finish.  He repeated the feat in the third round with a left hand to the jaw but once again, Hougland fought through and got back to his feet.  Basically, Jabouin did exactly what one would expect from him when facing an overmatched opponent.
 
In the slugfest of the night, Igor Pokrajac defeated Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision.  Pokrajac showed growth building on his knockout of Krzysztof Soszynski.  He made the fight competitive on the feet landing knees from the clinch and punches on the outside.  When necessary, he mixed in takedowns and controlled Maldonado on the ground.  Had he simply taken Maldonado down and kept the fight on the ground, the fight would not have been nearly as close.  His willingness to stand with a professional boxer could have cost him the fight but he managed to absorb the punishment and earn the victory.
 
In the main card opener, Tom Lawlor knocked out Jason MacDonald early in the first round.  Both fighters started aggressively with MacDonald shooting for a takedown.  Lawlor stuffed it and landed a left hand to the chin, a right to the temple, another right on the ground and the fight was over.  The knockout gave Lawlor a much needed win and an opportunity to build some momentum going forward.
 
– Alan Wells

UFC on Fuel TV 3- Pre Fight Analysis Part III (Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs Jorge Lopez (11-2)

Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs Jorge Lopez (11-2) Amir Sadollah is well-known to MMA fans from his surprising run to win season seven of the The Ultimate Fighter. His win over C.B. Dolloway in the finale.

Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs Jorge Lopez (11-2)

Amir Sadollah is well-known to MMA fans from his surprising run to win season seven of the The Ultimate Fighter. His win over C.B. Dolloway in the finale was his first professional fight and all eight of his fights have come in the UFC. Since his win, he has struggled with injuries and lost every time he has been given a chance to step up in competition. No one would ever accuse the UFC of poor marketing strategy and they do a great job of getting the most out of the fighters who win on their reality show. Call it loyalty or call it branding but TUF winners generally stick around in the UFC. But another loss and an overall record of five wins and four losses would make it difficult for the UFC to continue giving Sadollah fights with so much talent on the roster at 170 pounds.

Enter Jorge Lopez. Lopez was not overly impressive in his first UFC fight though he did show some improvement toward the end of the fight. He doesn’t offer anything outstanding to trouble Sadollah and Sadollah should have the advantage everywhere in this fight. He has the ability to submit Lopez if Lopez takes him down and he’ll have an advantage standing that will be accentuated in the clinch. Sadollah’s knees are his most effective strikes and he will look to clinch with Lopez and unleash from there.

Sadollah is favored in the books at -200 with Lopez coming in at +160. Sadollah should be able to win this fight and a win would maintain his status as a viable commodity in the UFC. He should be looking to finish the fight and not just coast to a decision. A finish or at least a dominant decision would be a nice step in the right direction and could be a sign that he has fully recovered from all his injuries and is ready to fulfill the potential he showed when he originally burst onto the MMA scene.

Yves Jabouin (17-7) vs. Jeff Hougland (10-4)

This fight will feature a traditional MMA script. Jabouin is the striker with a well-rounded muay thai attack and he will do his best to keep the fight on the feet. Hougland is the grappler whose striking will serve solely to keep Jabouin honest and set up takedown attempts. On the surface, this looks like a bit of a mismatch with Jabouin being a clear favorite. But all of Hougland’s losses came in his first five fights and he won his UFC debut in a solid if not exciting decision over Donny Walker.

Jabouin has not achieved the level of success some predicted when he first entered the WEC. His muay thai is on point technically but he has not shown an ability to finish high level competition. He has split his last six fights and won his last two via split decision. His most recent fight against Wilel Watson was especially close and could have easily been scored a loss. If he wants to take the next step and be considered a major threat in the 135 pound division, he needs to make a statement against Hougland.

But it won’t be easy as Hougland will come in looking to increase his status and earn a huge victory for his career. To step up and take a fight as a replacement and earn a victory would certainly be impressive. To do that, he will need to get the fight to the ground. If he does, he has the submission skill to finish the fight. Jabouin has good balance and takedown defense but he can be dragged to the mat. Whether or not Hougland will be able to do so could be the determining factor in the fight.

Jabouin is heavily favored at -280 with Hougland at +220. One would have a difficult time finding someone willing to pick Hougland and I won’t go that far but Jabouin has not been overly impressive in his last few fights. Because of that, Jabouin should come out and look to finish a technically overmatched opponent in the first round. But if he is overconfident or finds himself playing the submission game with Hougland, we could see an upset. That said, I expect Jabouin to do his job and
dispatch Hougland quickly and impressively.

-Alan Wells

UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier Bleacher Report MMA Staff Predictions

The UFC presents its third annual event on FUEL TV this Tuesday, headlined by an intriguing title eliminator bout for the featherweight division.Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung square off in the evening’s main event …

The UFC presents its third annual event on FUEL TV this Tuesday, headlined by an intriguing title eliminator bout for the featherweight division.

Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung square off in the evening’s main event to determine who earns a title fight with current 145-pound champion Jose Aldo.

The main card kicks off when grizzled veteran Jason MacDonald takes on the always entertaining Tom “The Filthy Mauler” Lawlor in a middleweight scrap.

Next up, in a light heavyweight affair, Igor Pokrajac will go toe-to-toe with the always game Fabio Maldonado. 

At 135 pounds, Yves Jabouin looks to make it three wins in a row after dropping down from the featherweight division when he meets a talented grappler in Jeff Hougland. 

In a bout that has “show stealer” written all over it, Jeremy Stephens takes on Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a match up that promises fireworks. 

Right before the feature bout, former “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Amir Sadollah takes on Jorge Lopez in a fight that all but promises a ton of action on the feet. 

Bleacher Report MMA Featured Columnists Scott Harris, Dwight Wakabayashi and myself, John Heinis, are making the predictions this time around. 

Take a look inside for the in-depth analysis.

Begin Slideshow

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC on Versus 5

Filed under: UFCYou can say this for the UFC’s free fight cards: they’re always worth your money, even if you pay for them by sitting through the same few commercials over and over again.

Last night in Milwaukee fight fans got treated to a little piec…

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You can say this for the UFC’s free fight cards: they’re always worth your money, even if you pay for them by sitting through the same few commercials over and over again.

Last night in Milwaukee fight fans got treated to a little piece of MMA history, as one of the sport’s great battlers called it quits and went out on a triumphant victory. If you didn’t feel a little choked up watching Chris Lytle hug his kids in the Octagon after a brutal scrap to end a hard-nosed career, better check your battery life, because you may be a robot.

It’s great to see those moments broadcast live to the entire cable TV universe, but it wasn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows at UFC on Versus 5. Now that we’re faced with the sober reality of Monday morning, it’s time to sort through all the winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Chris Lytle
It’s so rare to see pro fighters walk away when it’s time. It’s rare to even see them walk away when it’s a quarter past time. Usually, the appeal of the money and fame combines with the addictive power of adrenaline and the unbreakable spirit that got them here to begin with, and the result is a person who wants to hang on to a fighting career until promoters and fans are stomping on his fingers to get him to let go. Lytle had seen that in action enough to know he didn’t want to find out what it felt like, and so he made the perfect exit at the perfect time. From the opening moments of the bout he fought like a man who was determined to see someone get beat up and he didn’t particularly care who it was. After boxing Hardy up and surviving a few wobbly scares of his own, a submission finish in a fight that he never tried to take to the mat feels like the absolute right ending to Lytle’s great career. Heading out with $130,000 in bonuses probably doesn’t hurt either. So long, Chris. Thanks for the memories.

Biggest Loser: Dan Hardy
He fought exactly the fight that Lytle wanted him to, right down to the ill-advised takedown with his neck wide open in the third. That’s four straight for our mohawked friend, and he should be very grateful that the UFC loves his fighting style and his attitude so much that it doesn’t mind when one or both results in a losing streak that would embarrass the Detroit Lions. But his losses aside, keeping Hardy is the right move here. The UFC has been too quick with the cuts in the past, as if it’s impossible for fighters to go through a lull and come back strong. Hardy fought for the welterweight title a year and a half ago. On Sunday he was one half of the Fight of the Night, so it would be hypocritical to reward his efforts and praise his fighting style while also giving him his walking papers. I know, the UFC has done that very thing in the past, but that doesn’t make it right. Eventually, however, Hardy might have to choose between fighting smart and fighting to the UFC’s liking. Reminder: just because you want to stand and bang, that doesn’t mean you have to stand in only one spot, exactly where your opponent’s left hook knows how to find you.

Most Surprising: Ben Henderson
With a win over Miller, he joined a very small club that includes only the current UFC lightweight champion and the current no. 1 contender. By battering Miller into a bloody mess, Henderson established his own club where he, as the only member, gets to write the bylaws (first rule: haircuts are optional). It’s one thing to survive all Miller’s submissions and eek out a decision. It’s quite another to shrug off those submissions and punish him severely for each attempt. Miller is a very good lightweight, and we’ve never seen anyone take it to him like Henderson did. Put this kid in a fight with Clay Guida and you’ll have your next lightweight challenger by the time the dust clears. Also, getting down on bended knee to plead for the UFC to give your teammates a look? Yeah, that’s a pretty awesome move.

Worst Game Plan: Amir Sadollah
So he came into a fight with one of the most experienced kickboxers in the UFC and decided it would be a good idea to keep it on the feet in the early going, huh? As much as I respect a man who’s always looking to test himself, in retrospect that doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Sadollah needed to get this fight to the mat, and he should have known that. Instead of making that his primary goal, he went toe-to-toe with “Bang” and only tried for takedowns right after getting rocked, when his lunging attempts were more desperation than technique. That’s exactly the kind of thing people are talking about when they talk about the difference that experience makes. Sadollah hung tough and took his beating like a man, so he’ll likely benefit from this painful little lesson. Let’s just hope he only has to learn it once.

Weirdest Post-Fight Request: Duane Ludwig
You’d think a 33-year-old man would have other things to think about after a big win than getting Joe Rogan’s signature on his MMA doll — sorry, action figure. But hey, we all have our quirks, I suppose. The strangest thing is how quickly he had that thing ready. That means he probably asked one of his cornermen to bring it down to the cage with them, at which point I imagine Trevor Wittman looking at him and fighting the urge to say, ‘You’re a grown man, Duane!’ As for Ludwig’s plea to get the UFC to acknowledge his record for the fastest knockout, there he actually has a good point. Maybe Dana White can send an intern down to the copy shop to print up an official-looking certificate to give him. Then Ludwig can put it in his rec room along with all his autographed MMA dolls action figures. At least he’s a savvy enough collector to keep them in their original packaging, which is more than I can say for a certain host of a certain MMA Hour.

Most Brutal: Donald Cerrone
In case you couldn’t tell, “Cowboy” is just straight-up mean. He has very little regard for the feelings of others, and seems to take immense pleasure in their pain. A lot of people think that’s common among pro fighters, but it really isn’t. Most guys just want to win and dominate. They might even feel a little bad about punishing someone more than necessary. Cerrone? Let’s just say that if the UFC ever goes under, he could find work as a freelance debt collector. Since coming over from the WEC, he seems to have only improved his overall game and even learned to come out of the gates a little quicker. I’m not sure if he’s got all the tools necessary to get to the top in this division, but he certainly has the ability to lay down some beatings and instill fear in some hearts along the way. For now, that’s good enough.

Sharpest Decline: Charles Oliveira
Remember when he was the undefeated whiz kid coming straight outta Brazil? Once he got above the level of the Efrain Escuderos, his ascent stalled. Not that he’s gotten an easy road, mind you. He got thrown in against Jim Miller, which is a tough draw for any lightweight. Then he had the unfortunate (very) illegal knee incident against Nik Lentz, which cost him a win. But against Cerrone he quickly looked like a man who didn’t really want to be in there. Calling time for what was far more of a leg kick than a groin shot should have been the first sign. Crumpling up after that pitiless body shot was the last. There’s no question that he’s got skills, and he’s still young enough for these to be valuable learning experiences, but he needs to grow up in a hurry if he’s going to hang at this level for very long. In case the matchmaking hasn’t already tipped him off, perhaps someone should point out that the UFC doesn’t take it easy on anyone.

Most in Need of a New Weight Class: Joseph Benavidez
Give credit to the Joe-Jitsu master, he’s perfected the art of closing the distance against taller opponents, probably because he’s been doing it his whole career. The fact that he’s been this successful against bigger guys at 135 pounds only strengthens my belief that he’s essentially the de facto champ in the 125-pound division, which exists in the UFC only as a promise at this point. Soon, they say. Soon they’ll gather up the little fellas and start this new weight class. That day can’t come soon enough for Benavidez, who seems like he’d be absolutely dominant if he could ever get the chance to pick on someone his own size.

 

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UFC Results: Duane Ludwig Beats Amir Sadollah

Filed under: UFC, NewsAmir Sadollah has been carefully brought along by the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter three years ago, but on Sunday night his career progress took a step backward at the hands of Duane Ludwig.

Ludwig showed that he was a …

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Duane Ludwig beats Amir Sadollah.Amir Sadollah has been carefully brought along by the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter three years ago, but on Sunday night his career progress took a step backward at the hands of Duane Ludwig.

Ludwig showed that he was a superior striker — and exposed some flaws in Sadollah’s game — by winning a unanimous decision at the UFC Live on Versus event in Milwaukee. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Ludwig, who took control early on and managed to hold on despite appearing to run out of steam late in the fight.

In the first round Ludwig’s Muay Thai striking had Sadollah in a lot of trouble: Ludwig hit Sadollah with punches, kicks, knees and elbows that had Sadollah reeling, and it was all Sadollah could do to grab on to Ludwig and survive the round.

In the second Ludwig continued to batter Sadollah standing up, landing combinations of punches to Sadollah’s head that Sadollah couldn’t answer. By the end of the second round Sadollah’s face was badly bruised and swollen, and it was clear that Ludwig was up two rounds to none.

At the start of the third Sadollah tried to shake things up with a takedown, and he did succeed in getting Ludwig down to the ground. Sadollah also began to land more punches in the third round, while avoiding taking damage of his own. But Sadollah never came close to ending the fight, and just winning the third wasn’t enough for Sadollah, whose professional MMA record drops to 5-3 with the loss.

Ludwig improves to 21-11 with the victory, and he’s now on a two-fight winning streak in the UFC.

 

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UFC on Versus 5 Live Blog: Amir Sadollah vs. Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig Updates

Filed under: UFCMILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Amir Sadollah vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig, a welterweight bout on tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Sadollah (5-2, 5-2 UFC), the Season 7 winner of “The Ultimate Fi…

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Amir Sadollah faces Duane MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for Amir Sadollah vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig, a welterweight bout on tonight’s UFC card at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Sadollah (5-2, 5-2 UFC), the Season 7 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” when he beat C.B. Dollaway, who fought on tonight’s preliminary card, has won two straight, including a stoppage over DaMarques Johnson in March. Ludwig (20-11, 3-2 UFC) is just 1-2 since his return to the UFC, but won his last outing by split decision over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Ludwig and Sadollah were scheduled to meet in March, but Ludwig had to pull out of the fight due to an injury.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: Here we go to open the TV card. Thirty seconds in, we trade knees and both guys look for that Muay Thai plum just like we expected. Sadollah pushes Ludwig to the cage, but Ludwig pushes off and lands a few knees. Total clinch game right now, and both guys have a plum. Sadollah breaks out finally, and the two trade punches before Ludwig throws a pair of leg kicks up high that Sadollah blocks. Ludwig nearly lands a knee, and Sadollah answers with a teep to keep the distance. Ludwig is landing some decent shots, then rocks Sadollah with a big combination. Sadollah survives, but his face is pretty beat up. Ludwig contineus to land up top, then goes to the body. He goes back to head-body like Marky Mark in “The Fighter.” It’s working. Ludwig gets the first, 10-9, on the MMA Fighting card.

Round 2: Traded kicks for the first 30 seconds, and the crowd likes it. Superman punch from Sadollah goes nowhere. But Ludwig pushes forward and lands some nice combos in tight. Ludwig seems to be getting the better of these exchanges, both in the kicking game and with the punches. But Sadollah’s face is more beat up, so that might make a difference in that perception. Sadollah is backing up more, for sure. They again trade in tight, and again Ludwig lands some big shots that force Sadollah to plum up and then drop for a takedown, which Ludwig stuffs. Ludwig tries to shoot, but Sadollah stuffs and we move back to the feet. They clinch briefly, then break. Ludwig is having no problem landing punches, and now even elbows, to Sadollah’s noggin. It’s another 10-9 round for Ludwig on the MMA Fighting card.

Round 3: Sadollah likely will be in desperation mode here, and he comes forward hard and goes for a takedown that Ludwig brilliantly sprawls out to stop, for the most part. Ludwig does end up on the ground for a moment, but he’s right back up to Sadollah’s dismay. A beautiful front kick from Sadollah is right on the button on Ludwig’s chin, and it backs him up. But he doesn’t fall, and he soon lands another punch to Sadollah’s chin for his troubles. More kicks are traded, and Mike Dolce in Ludwig’s corner yells for him to go hard. Sadollah lands a nice body kick. A high kick from Sadollah is blocked by Ludwig, but the sound popping off his glove gets the crowd jazzed. THey trade strikes in close, and at the 45 second mark, the crowd goes bananas – B-A-N-A-N-A-S – for a wild and crazy finish. But it’s not to be. Ludwig shoots, Sadollah sprawls, and they’ll end things on the ground. MMA Fighting has the third 10-9 for Ludwig, though it’s closer, and the fight for him 30-27.

Result: Duane Ludwig def. Amir Sadollah, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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