The home soil headliner at UFC 122 in Germany will be Peter Sobotta taking on Amir Sadollah in a welterweight match on November 13, 2010.
Sobotta still doesn’t have a win at the UFC against underwhelming opposition while Sadollah has shown steady improvement since winning TUF season 7. Sadollah is a strong favorite with the UFC odds paying -365 while the German Sobotta pays +285.
After beating a number of more experienced fighters, Amir Sadollah (3-2-0 MMA, 3-2 UFC) pulled off an upset over C.B. Dollaway to emerge as the champion from TUF season 7. At TUF, it was his submission ability that made him dangerous, but he has since expanded his repertory learning Muay Thai to improve his stand-up game and training with the best.
His opponent Peter Sobotta (8-3-0 MMA, 0-2 UFC) will likely need a win to stay in the UFC. He acquitted himself well in two decision losses, but the losses came to other largely unknown fighters and likely the only reason he is still in the UFC is because they needed a German fighter to drum up interest.
Stylistically these are very similar fighters with both fighters being solid in all areas without excelling in any. Sadollah is, however, the more polished fighter and should win this fight easily.
While the fighters are on their feet, Sadollah enjoys his biggest advantage. Sobotta is a competent striker with some power, but Sadollah is faster and better trained. He probably won’t be able to knock out the German, but he will likely land flurries of punches when Sobotta is just landing single blows.
To win the fight Sobotta will need to get the fight on the ground like Donh Hyn Kim did in his victory over Sadollah. However, Kim is a better wrestler than Sadollah and he is bigger and stronger. Sadollah’s take down defense wasn’t good enough for Kim the wrestling specialist. But for Sobotta, who lacks the size, strength and skill of Kim, it should be more than adequate.
Even if Sobotta gets the fight on the ground, he won’t be able to keep it there as Sadollah’s BJJ makes him dangerous to get some more space against similarly built fighters.
Expect the fighters to stay on their feet with both sides landing blows, but Sadollah should hold enough of an advantage to win by decision.
