FightTicker.com is happy to welcome a guest panel to predict the TUF 7 Finals fight between middlweights CB Dollaway and Amir Sadollah. The members of the panel are Larry Vollmer of The Journal News, Tom Kim of the Seattle PI, Jared Barnes of the Houston Chronicle, and Carlos Arias of the OC Register as well as newcomer Nathan Schafer of WiCombatSports.com.

Panel picks

Nathan Schafer (WiCombatSports.com): CB Dollaway by Unanimous Decision

"I'll be honest, I didn't think Amir Sadollah had a chance to make it into the finals when the series began with an (0-0) professional
record. He's proven that he's the gamest of all fighters and doesn't quit, back down, or stop applying pressure. His fighter mentality and psyche are the most amazing of all the contestants, and he doesn't melt under pressure or punishment.

"C.B. Dollaway dominated Sadollah for most of the fight and has proven to be a finisher in almost of all of his fights. His wrestling is
outstanding although his cardio and submission defense was sub par in the first go-around, leading to the arm bar from Sadollah.

"I see this fight as similar to the first go-around. Dollaway will get his takedowns and control Sadollah from top position while
applying ground-and-pound tactics. The difference I believe is that Dollaway will have fixed his cardio issues and probably has worked
extensively on his submission defense. Dollaway will not be able to finish the very tough Amir, but he will pull out the unanimous
decision and win (30-27) on all three score cards. Sadollah has proven that you shouldn't count him out in any fight, but I'm going to stick with my head and not go with my heart."

Larry Vollmer (Inside the Octagon blog): Amir Sadollah by Unanimous Decision

"The first bout between Dollaway and Sadollah was pretty exciting, but it showed huge gaps in both of their arsenals. Dollaway's stand up needs some serious work. He throws his punches hard , but he also lets his hands flail and never brings his fists back to his face, leaving his chin wide open for counter strikes. Tim Credeur was able to capitalize on this a few times in his fight with Dollaway, landing crisp jabs and crosses square on the chin of Dollaway.

"Of the two fighters, Sadollah has the better stand up. He is more fluid on his feet and his combinations are crisp. He likes to throw flying knees and superman punches, and was taken down numerous times for his efforts in his first fight with Dollaway. He has to watch out for that this time around. Luckily for Sadollah, Dolloway sat in his guard and never did a lot of damage, aside from the one elbow that split Sadollah open. Sadollah was constantly looking for submissions and eventually pulled a very slick arm bar off in their first bout.

"I believe that Sadollah is the all-around better fighter of the two. Dolloway has more power and better wrestling, but his stand up leaves much to be desired and his ground-and-pound was not vicious enough to neutralize the very active guard of Sadollah. I think we are going to see a more patient Sadollah in the Finale. I think he will work punch/kick combinations without attempting the superman punches and flying knees in the clinch. I have to believe that he is drilling his sprawls and take down defense pretty hardcore. If he can neutralize Dollaways's take downs, this fight is his for the taking. Both of these guys are good, but Sadollah just impresses me all around."

Tom Kim (Ultimate Fan blog): CB Dollaway by TKO in Round 3

"The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale comes down to two guys already familiar with each other. The two put on quite the show during their semifinal bout on the show. Dollaway managed to use his All-American wrestling background to take Sadollah down multiple times and beat him up on the ground. Sadollah, however, used his unorthodox striking style, sheer determination and an underrated submission game to armbar Dollaway late in the third round. Expect more of the same action when these two meet again. While Sadollah became my personal favorite on the show, I think Dollaway's ceiling is higher due to his youth, athleticism and experience. He's also had a lot of time since the show finished taping to fix his weaknesses."

Jared Barnes (Brawl Sports blog): Amir Sadollah by TKO in Round 3

"In their first meeting C.B. Dollaway had the strength advantage and was winning the fight by scoring with takedowns until Amir Sadollah stopped him with an arm bar. Sadollah is a smart fighter and he will be ready for those takedowns in the rematch.

"Sadollah has proven himself to be the better striker and to have better submissions than Dollaway and since he has already beaten two great wrestlers in Gerald Harris and Dollaway he should be going into the final with a lot of confidence, knowing exactly what to expect.

"It will be interesting to see what adjustments these fighters have made since their last meeting. If Sadollah can improve his takedown defense and avoid being hit with a big shot from Dollaway, I see Sadollah coming out with a victory by TKO."

Carlos Arias (Keep Punching blog): Amir Sadollah by TKO in Round 3

"C.B. Dollaway has the All-American wrestling skills and we saw his ability to get the takedowns when he needed them in the first fight against Amir Sadollah. I think Dollaway's standup leaves a lot to be desired. Dollaway doesn't want any part of Sadollah standing up where Sadollah can use his array of kicks, knees and punches. Sadollah hurt Dollaway a number of times with kicks in the first fight. Sadollah is very dangerous in the Thai clinch and also has slippery jits when it gets to the ground. He has been training with all the guys at Xtreme Couture since the show stopped taping, where he has received some of the best instruction and training in the world. He is going to be even better in the rematch. I don't know how much Dollaway has been able to improve his striking since the show and that will be the difference."

Verdict: Amir Sadollah wins 3-2