UFC 146: Jason Miller vs C.B. Dollaway Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Following his loss against fellow The Ultimate Fighter coach Michael Bisping in his return to the Octagon, there was speculation that Jason "Mayhem" Miller would make a quick exit from the UFC. However, the UFC brass opted to give Miller one more chance to prove himself in the world's premier MMA organization.

Miller's opponent on Saturday, C.B. Dollaway, is also on thin ice after being knocked out in his past two appearances. Despite winning five of his first seven UFC fights, Dollaway could be released from the UFC if he loses at UFC 146.

Heading into this make-or-break bout for both competitors, let's take a look at which fighter has a better chance of ensuring a lengthened stay in the UFC with a win.

Striking

Neither Jason Miller nor C.B. Dollaway are overly skilled on their feet. The holes in their striking were easily apparent in each of their latest fights, as both fighters were stopped by opponents who many believed they could have beaten on the ground.

With poor stand-up performances still fresh in their mind, there may be some inclination on the part of both fighters to remain on their feet and prove they have fixed their faults in the striking department. However, more likely, Miller and Dollaway will want to stick to their strengths in a bout that is must-win for both men.

In other words, don't expect this fight to stay standing for long. If it does stay standing initially, the first fighter to get hit will immediately look to go to the ground.

Edge: Push

Wrestling/Grappling

As an amateur wrestler, C.B. Dollaway competed at a high level while attending Arizona State University. Against one of the best wrestlers in the middleweight division in Mark Munoz, Dollaway was able to score a takedown, but he wasn't able to maintain the top position.

Even though he doesn't have the strong wrestling background possessed by Dollaway, Miller was able to score a takedown against Michael Bisping—something even Chael Sonnen recently had difficulty achieving.

Dollaway may be able to take Miller to the ground, but "Mayhem" will have a big advantage once both fighters are on the canvas. A jiu-jitsu black belt, Miller is very comfortable fighting off of his back and could quickly reverse Dollaway, as he was able to do multiple times in a loss against a more accomplished grappler in Jake Shields.

Edge: Miller

Submissions

Dollaway has had lapses in his submission defense that have rendered his wrestling somewhat useless against fighters with solid jiu-jitsu backgrounds—which Miller has. Dollaway's submission defense cost him The Ultimate Fighter title twice, both times against Amir Sadollah.

More than half of Miller's wins have come via submissions, while Dollaway has suffered half of his losses by being forced to tap. Having submitted the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, Robbie Lawler and others, Miller is certainly capable of finishing Dollaway, who has been submitted by Sadollah and Tom Lawlor. 

Edge: Miller

Intangibles

Having more than twice as many fights under his belt, Jason Miller is a far more experienced and crafty fighter than Dollaway. While Dollaway may have more UFC fights than Miller, "Mayhem" has also competed in WEC, Strikeforce and Dream.

With another training camp at Kings MMA, Miller also has a stronger team of coaches behind him than Dollaway, who only recently left Arizona Combat Sports to create Power MMA with Aaron Simpson and college wrestling teammate Ryan Bader.

Edge: Miller

Prediction

The stronger wrestler of the two fighters, C.B. Dollaway will probably be the one who is able to score an early takedown in this bout. However, against Jason Miller, he will immediately be more busy fighting off submissions than doing damage from the top position.

Eventually, even if he isn't able to sweep his opponent, Miller is going to catch one of Dollaway's limbs and earn a submission win in the first round of this contest. While the result would salvage Miller's UFC career, a fight or two outside of the Octagon could be exactly what the 28-year-old Dollaway needs to refocus and made adjustments to turn his career around. 

Prediction

Miller defeats Dollaway by submission (armbar) in the first round.