UFC Live 5 Preview: The Prelims

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Middleweights
Jared Hamman (12-3, 1-2 UFC) vs. C.B. Dollaway (11-3, 5-3 UFC)

The Matchup: This is a must-win for both guys. Hamman has dropped two of his last three fights, while Dollaway is looking to rebound from his 54-second knockout loss to Mark Munoz at UFC Live 3. Hamman has solid striking and aggression on his side, along with a willingness to let his hands go, which regularly nets results as often as power itself. Dollaway, meanwhile, remains an excellent wrestler with a nifty submission game who seems to run into tough luck each time he tries to get over a critical hump.

Hamman has to move and change angles, all while exploiting the fact that Dollaway probably is not going to be able to land much on the feet. A mobile striker can take away a better wrestler’s confidence by planting a hard shot or two on him early, moving away, resetting and doing it again. It is a pain in the rear end to try and take down someone when you have little chance of hitting them, which is why it would not be surprising to see Dollaway shoot for leg takedowns and depend on his ability to scramble and get up without paying a stiff price.

Look for Hamman to land a couple early shots before Dollaway gets a takedown and the momentum shifts; expect one-sided action, whether it is on the feet -- in Hamman’s favor -- or on the ground -- in Dollaway’s favor.

The Pick: At the end of the day, Dollaway is still a terrific wrestler and should be able to wear down Hamman en route to a third-round submission in a challenging fight.

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