UFC 122 Preview: The Main Card

Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta

In a division where the extremes of weight-cutting seem to give many fighters an invaluable edge, both of these guys are cut from a different cloth. Neither relies on an overpowering size advantage, instead falling back on smooth stand-up and classic technique on the feet and ground.

Sadollah ran into the bigger, stronger Dong Hyun Kim in losing a decision in his last appearance. Prior to, he had used his stand-up and precise tactics to rack up wins over Brad Blackburn and Phil Baroni. However, the TUF 7 winner was sidelined with a lengthy stretch of unfortunate injuries before returning to the Octagon more than a year after his second submission win over C.B. Dollaway to win the reality show.

Sobotta has lost two decisions in as many UFC bouts, but don’t be fooled: he is a good matchup for Sadollah. Sobotta has very good kicks and a willingness to let combinations fly. It will be crucial whether Sadollah is content to match strikes on the feet or if he uses his improving takedowns to try and plant the German on the mat.

Sometimes, a guy’s ego can get the better of him in a fight, especially when he’s favored to win against an opponent perceived to be outclassed. However, Sadollah has seemed too smart for that in his career, knowing what to do and when to do it.

I like Sadollah by late stoppage or decision here, as he seems to make very nice adjustments once he gets a feel for what the other man is trying to do. His performance against Blackburn showed how much progress he’s made in dealing with increasingly tough competition; the loss to Kim merely showed that he can be taken down and controlled, but it hardly told us anything we didn’t already know.

Sadollah’s a cerebral fighter and an exciting one to watch, a rare combination that keeps both casual fans and purists happy.