DaytonDailyNews.com

Dustin Hazelett (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) had victory within his grasp, close enough to tickle his fingertips and leave him wondering "what if" for the past three months.

The 22-year-old mixed martial arts fighter hopes to erase the memory of that technical knockout loss to Josh Koscheck (10-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) tonight, June 21, at "The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale," which takes place at The Palms Las Vegas.

Hazelett, who trains out of Middletown with Team Jorge Gurgel, looks to rebound against another top welterweight in Josh Burkman (9-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC).

Hazelett, one of the sport's top prospects, is on the brink of stardom. He's defeated all but the top fighters in his division, and he knows a victory over Koscheck — currently ranked as high as No. 3 in world division rankings — would be a turning point in his career.

After dominating the first round of their March fight and nearly submitting his opponent on two occasions, Hazelett got a little careless with his jab. That allowed Koscheck just the opening he needed.

"The way I've described the fight — the most accurate way I can explain it — is that beating (Koscheck) would have put me on the map," Hazelett said. "It would have done wonders for my career. It's like your dream is so close, right out there for you to grab, and it nips the end of your fingertips and falls out of your reach. That's how I felt after the fight."

Although signed to the world's most prominent MMA organization, Hazelett has been relegated to the UFC's unaired preliminary cards. Tonight's event airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m.), but Hazelett's fight will again be untelevised (though it could be shown via tape delay between the live fights).

However, Hazelett feels fairly secure with his standing in the UFC.

"I was really disappointed by the loss to Koscheck," Hazelett said. "I wasn't sure what (the UFC) had planned. But when I heard they wanted me to fight Burkman, who is another big name, that made me happy. It made me think they have good intentions for my career and still want me around."

Tonight's event features a headline bout between Evan Tanner (32-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Kendall Grove (8-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Additionally, C.B. Dollaway (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Amir Sadollah (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), finalists from the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series, square off to become the show's champion.

Dollaway, an All-American wrestler at Arizona State University, is a former Ohio high school state wrestling champion (Northmor High School in Mt. Gilead).