UFC 122 Preview: The Main Card

Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner

These days, lightweights seem to bring the best bang for your buck, with nary a bad matchup made and with WEC merging into the UFC and bringing even more 155-pound talent, it’s only going to get better. Siver-Winner is the kind of fight that sorts out the men from the boys, with the winner in potential position to get into the lightweight title race.

As MMA continues to evolve, fighters like Siver and Winner have increasingly become the norm: better athletes make for better fighters overall, even if they lack a world-class pedigree in a core art like muay Thai, wrestling or jiu-jitsu. Winner has steadily progressed since losing in the TUF 9 finale to Ross Pearson, and though he hit a speed bump in a decision loss against tough Nik Lentz, the bout was more of a learning experience than a case of being exposed. He still has a lot of physical ability and a headiness that suggest a good grasp of tactics.

Siver, meanwhile, explodes with potent roundhouses and puts everything into his strikes, with a compact frame built to trade shots. Expect some good back-and-forth stand-up action with Winner showing smooth striking but Siver landing the heavier shots.

The key for Siver is forcing heavy exchanges as opposed to a finesse game, which is where Winner could outpoint him from range. Winner is also very good at making the subtle transitions between clinching and dirty boxing, as well as at attacking with knees in the clinch.

The guess here is that Siver might be a little too strong in the clinch and on the mat and will grind out a tough decision win. Conversely, it might turn into a bar fight on the feet. Either way, it should prove typically entertaining lightweight fare.