UFC 101 Preview: The Main Card

Amir Sadollah (1-0) vs. Johny Hendricks (5-0)

The Breakdown: After more than a year on the shelf thanks to a staph infection and broken clavicle, Sadollah will finally start his welterweight run. It will come against Team Takedown’s high-ceiling wrestling convert, Hendricks, in a fight reminiscent of Sadollah’s brief, one-sided rivalry with CB Dollaway.

Much like Dollaway, Hendricks’ obvious talent has masked his glaring flaws, which include a surprising vulnerability in the clinch and questionable cardio. Both of those flaws are tailor-made for Sadollah to exploit, as the Thai plum remains a cornerstone of his offense and he excels at outlasting opponents. Even if Hendricks has developed professional-level cardio, his game is all about top control, and one has to wonder if he has the submission defense to cut it in the cage.

The X Factor: With most of his experience coming on the wrestling mats, the tendency might be to think Hendricks’ best hope is a top control special. However, neophyte wrestlers are notoriously easy marks on the mat, and Sadollah has the kind of natural instincts that make him composed well beyond his years. One weapon Hendricks does wield is an uppercut he swings like Mjolnir, and despite Sadollah’s skill on the feet, no one knows if he has the chin to match. For all his flaws, Hendricks has the raw power to turn any fight on its head, and he’s proven before that he knows how to make the scorecards as relevant as a Corey Haim movie.

* * *

The Bottom Line: Just a year ago, Team Takedown was heralded as a revolutionary force in MMA, but, after some high-profile miscues from its premier fighters, Hendricks is basically the last man standing in his once powerful crew. That will not last much longer, as Sadollah’s year on the shelf has only given him more time to work on his game with the top-tier trainers at Xtreme Couture and acclimate to the cut down to welterweight. Neither of those factors bode well for Hendricks, who will end up on the wrong end in this one. Sadollah will eventually put his prey away with an armbar late in the second round.