UFC 119 Preview: The Prelims

C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen

If Efrain Escudero’s quick hook from the UFC roster is any indication, life isn’t so secure anymore for the army of “Ultimate Fighter” alumni in the UFC. Even with two straight wins and taking four out of his last five bouts, few have been more disappointing relative to expectations than Dollaway, who started as a vaunted wrestling convert from Arizona State University and has since displayed a tendency to get tapped out on occasion.

Doerksen never had Dollaway’s expectations, and his 2-5 UFC record points to why. However, an unexpected submission win over Tom Lawlor has given him a second life in the Octagon. The continued resurrection doesn’t look particularly promising against Dollaway, though.

From day one Doerksen’s best assets have been his toughness and submission skill. On the surface, that seems like a great combination to beat Dollaway, who’s prone to gassing out and making mistakes on the floor. Specifically, Dollaway routinely leaves his arms posted on the mat and, for someone with such a slick front headlock series, he seems oblivious to the possibility that someone else could grab a hold of his neck.

The possibility of Doerksen catching Dollaway can’t be discounted, but the Canadian does struggle against wrestlers who can force him on his back. Like so many grappling-oriented fighters, Doerksen never got the memo about wrestling and his guard isn’t so special that he can be counted on to hit submissions from there against UFC-caliber competition. The other factor here is that despite Dollaway’s marginal submission defense, he is ballsy about chasing submissions of his own.

Getting caught in a submission given his own physical degradation is well within the realm of possibility for Doerksen. Offensive grappling ability is not the same as defensive skills, and he is prone to blowing positions -- the first step to getting caught. Dollaway may not catch him, but at bare minimum he can ride out a decision win.

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