The case for Amir Sadollah
Frankly, the fact that Sadollah has even won six fights in the Octagon as little more than a rookie is…
Frankly, the fact that Sadollah has even won six fights in the Octagon as little more than a rookie is amazing and speaks to his exceptional talent. Clearly however, his entire UFC experience has been a case of too much, too soon. Even the organization appears to at least tacitly understand this, as you now can’t apply to appear on The Ultimate Fighter without a handful of professional bouts on your résumé.
At a stage when most welterweights would just be finding their sea legs, Sadollah is competing in high-profile, televised co-main event fights against (theoretically, at least) UFC-caliber opponents. At a point where most 170-pounders would just be starting to think about getting noticed by one of the bigger organizations, he’s already made the transition from “up-and-comer” to sturdy UFC veteran.
Has it worked out for him? Maybe is some ways. Certainly he’s attained more exposure and made far more money than he might have by taking a more conventional route to the UFC. Maybe that’s the most important thing.
In a case like Sadollah’s though, you have to wonder. You have to wonder what his career arc would have looked like if he’d had 6-8 pro fights before coming to the UFC. You have to wonder if taking a shortcut to the top by winning The Ultimate Fighter was the best thing to happen to him as a fighter, or the worst.