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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist The middleweights take center stage for the second fight of the broadcast as two newcomers to the UFC ranks jockey for position and look to use the other to prove that they belong in the big show. Dollaway is a veteran of 'The Ultimate Fighter' who dropped two fights to Amir Sadollah before rebounding with a victory over Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 14 in July.
Massenzio is coming off of a submission victory over Drew McFedries at UFC Fight Night 15 and is making his first appearance on the main card. Dollaway has failed to impress and will certainly be looking to do his best to make everyone try to forget his two uninspired performances against Sadollah. Massenzio on the other hand was impressive in his victory over McFedries and will be looking to prove that he is in fact the real deal while adding a known name such as Dollaway's to his MMA record. There is no doubt that this fight will take place on the ground, and it should be a spirited affair between two young and hungry middleweight prospects.
C.B. Dollaway is of course the former All-American wrestler from Arizona State who was introduced to the world as a member of the cast on the seventh season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.' He rubbed many the wrong way and came off as arrogant and prickly during his time on the show, and many were quite pleased when the affable Amir Sadollah eliminated him from the competition. Being submitted by Sadollah seemed to imply that he got caught, but when it happened again in their second meeting it made it appear to some as if Dollaway was in fact incapable of living up to any of his hype.
C.B. got a second chance to make a first impression when he faced Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 15, and he delivered one of the most amazing submission victories of the year by pulling off the peruvian necktie and forcing Taylor to tap at 3:58 of round number one. No one will question his wrestling ability, and he looks to be adept at pulling off the submissions, but in terms of his submission defense it is clear that many questions remain; we shall see if he can answer those against Massenzio.
Mike Massenzio is an unknown for the most part, and bounced around the smaller shows with one stop in the IFL before getting his chance in the UFC. He is a solid wrestler, but nowhere near on the level of Dollaway; although he is a fighter who is capable of fighting while on his back and this is where he poses a threat. His kimura victory over Drew McFedries was a thing of beauty and he was able to dispatch of his foe in under two minutes. McFedries has lost his share of fights but those who have beaten him have not been slouches; this seems to suggest that Massenzio could be much better than advertised and prove to be quite a test for Dollaway.
For C.B. Dollaway to win this fight he is going to need to make sure he comes into the fight with his head clear and without being overconfident. I think he fell victim to believing his hype and reading his press clippings and that to an extent he may have felt as if Amir Sadollah was not a credible threat at all. This sort of thinking explains why he got caught once, but not the second time as that seemed to suggest he hadn't spent enough time working on defending the submission. It is a guarantee that he has done so this time out, and I don't see him allowing himself to get caught, but he is going to need to fight with his head as much as he shall with his physical gifts. He should outwrestle Massenzio with ease and use his strength to his advantage and be able to grind this one out.
If Mike Massenzio is going to win this fight it is going to take a near perfect execution of his game plan and a few mistakes from Dollaway. Mike is a solid wrestler, and a strong one at that, but in both categories he ranks below Dollaway and this will put him at a clear disadvantage going into the bout. However, Massenzio is a wrestler who not only can fight from his back but he seems to thrive on it and has shown to be capable of pulling off many a victory from this position. This is how he can win the fight and if Dollaway takes him lightly or hasn't really worked to better himself defensively it could be an upset victory for the New Jersey native.
Bent's Prediction: C.B. Dollaway by Unanimous Decision
I like Massenzio in this fight, and he should be more than a live underdog, but there is no way that Dollaway comes into this fight at anything less than his absolute best. I think the Ryan Bader victory in 'The Ultimate Fighter' finale has probably done wonders for the guys at Arizona Combat Sports, and there is no way that Dollaway will want to let the team or his roommate down; especially in a fight on such a prominent card as UFC 92. I personally feel that Bader's victory only serves to show Dollaway what he could have accomplished had he only took things a little more seriously or worked just a little harder. You will be hard pressed to outwork anyone at his gym and if he has caught up to them it should be a lock that he will not get caught by Massenzio. This is a must win for both men, but especially so for the much heralded Dollaway and I don't see Massenzio having enough to get the job done on this particular night.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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