UFC Lightweight bout: George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver
Odds: (-340 Sotiropoulos /+260 Siver )
Betting Pick: Sotiropoulos
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In what could be a Fight of the Night contender, two of the Lightweight division’s most dynamic and well-rounded contenders will go at it in a bout that could well have immediate title shot implications, especially for Sotiropoulos. Both of these guys have been on a tear recently, and both have similar styles in that they are prolific jiu-jitsu experts who have added very effective striking to their games. Siver looked like a beast in his last fight, but Sotiropoulos is definitely his toughest challenge to date, so this should be a telling fight.
Siver, who trounced well-regarded prospect Andre Winner with ease in his last fight, is an extremely dangerous and versatile fighter. He has explosive and powerful kickboxing and an extremely solid grappling base. His submission defense is notoriously spotty, but in terms of offensive capability Siver is one of the more dangerous fighters at 155. He can hurt opponents standing, off his back, or from top position. It is quite likely that, even though Siver is great on the ground himself, he will try to make this a kickboxing match just because Sotiropoulos’ ground game is so dominant.
Since being eliminated from the Team Serra vs. Team Hughes season of The Ultimate Fighter, George Sotiropoulos has really come into his own as one of the best fighters in the world at 155 pounds. His jiu-jitsu is superlative, and he has continually improved as both a wrestler and a technical boxer. He’s not the kind of guy who is going to destroy someone with strikes, but when he starts establishing his jab he can effectively keep opponents back and set up his takedowns. On the ground, very few fighters in the division can hang with Sotiropoulos.
I’m not entirely sure Sotiropoulos would lose even if this was a boxing match. Siver is more dangerous in that he has more power and can explode with creative strikes, but Sotiropoulos is the technically superior striker and I think his jab is going to force Siver to fight a bit more defensively. This isn’t a kickboxing match, though, and what is important is that Siver doesn’t have what it takes to keep Sotiropoulos from taking him down, controlling him, and submitting him. Sotiropoulos by submission.
Prediction: George Sotiropoulos via second round armbar.
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