Out from the Shadows: The Return of Amir Sadollah

When you browse the card for the upcoming UFC 101 event, certain fights jump off the page at you.

There's the great lightweight bout between Kenny Florian and B.J. Penn.

There's the interesting contrast in styles between Forrest Griffin and Anderson Silva, and there's the everything-to-lose matchup between Ricardo Almeida and Kendall Grove.

In fact, as you scan the fight card, your eyes may even pass over one seemingly inconsequential fight—Amir Sadollah vs. Johnny Hendricks.

That would probably be okay with Amir Sadollah. After all, that's how he won season seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

When Sadollah entered TUF7, he had no professional fights and was a serious underdog in the competition. The 5'11" Brooklyn native stormed through the middleweight season of the show, proving his merit by ending each of his fights early, including two arm-bar victories over heavy favorite C.B. Dollaway—one of which earned him the Ultimate Fighter crown.

But, then something strange happened to Sadollah, he dropped off the face of the MMA Earth.

After his UFC debut, he was scheduled to face Nick Catone at UFC 91 on November 15, 2008, but a leg infection forced Sadollah to withdraw. When the UFC couldn't find a replacement for the fight, they axed the match from the card and moved it to the February 2009 card for UFC Fight Night 17.

In the January prior to the fight, Sadollah was, again, forced to withdraw due to a broken clavicle suffered in training. It left the submission specialist without an encore to his surprise run on the show, and Sadollah became overshadowed by other up-and-coming fighters.

A year removed from his TUF victory, Sadollah's name has become glossed over in the MMA world.

But all that could change when he steps into the ring this Saturday against respected wrestler Johnny Hendricks, who is making his UFC debut.

It will be Sadollah's first fight at welterweight and a chance to prove that he will be in the UFC to stay.

Since TUF7, Sadollah moved to Vegas, where he has been training with his former coach, Forrest Griffin, and his team.

Plus, since his injuries were sustained just prior to his fights, Sadollah had nearly completed two full camps. While it's not exactly Octagon experience, it is certainly nothing to brush aside. 

The Vegas experience, full training camps, and mentoring from Griffin may help unleash a completely different fighter than was last seen earning a UFC contract.

Whichever Sadollah steps into the octagon this Saturday, keep your eyes open or he may just sneak up on you—again.