UFC Fight Night 41: C.B. Dollaway earns decision over Francis Carmont in Berlin
Jun 1, 2014, 7:35 PM | Updated: 7:35 pm
Former Arizona State University wrestling All-American C.B. Dollaway continued his dominance of the international fight scene with a unanimous decision victory Saturday over Francis Carmont in front of a sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena in Berlin, Germany.
Carmont, who entered the bout as the No. 9 middleweight fighter in the Power MMA Show’s rankings, was a heavy favorite leading up to his matchup with Dollaway. With victories in 11 of his last 12 bouts, including seven of eight under the UFC banner, Carmont had long been considered one of the best 185-pounders in the world, while Dollaway was viewed as little more than a speed bump in French kickboxer’s career.
But Dollaway, who was looking to build off the momentum of his first-round knockout over Cezar Ferreira back at UFC Fight Night 38, continued to show improvement in his striking by rocking Carmont with a perfectly timed left hand in the first round. While Carmont managed to survive the early onslaught and make it back to his feet before the round ended, it was clear Dollaway had done enough to earn the round on the judge’s scorecards.
Looking to pick up right where the first round left off, Dollaway attempted to close the distance early in the second with some powerful combinations. However, Carmont kept his composure and landed a series of kicks to his opponent’s leg. After that point, Dollaway turned the bout into a wrestling match and continued to work for takedowns in order to nullify Carmont’s stand-up game.
Sensing he was indeed down on the judge’s scorecards, Carmont came out in the final frame looking to keep the fight standing in order to pick apart his opponent with kicks. But Dollaway walked right through Carmont’s attack, secured yet another takedown and finished the fight in a dominant position.
In the end, the judges awarded Dollaway a well-earned unanimous decision, giving him victories in four of his last five bouts.
An exhausted Dollaway told Dan Hardy in a post-fight interview that he believes he has finally cracked the top 10 at 185 pounds, but added that he was too tired to think about whom his next opponent would be.
“I’m finally in the top 10, I believe. I’ve done it,” said Dollaway. “But I’m pretty tired right now. Next week I’ll pick someone out.”
Official Result: CB Dollaway def. Francis Carmont via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
