Dennis Siver was brought into the UFC as part of it’s European expansion, and most exected him to get dominated by the “real” UFC fighters. While detractors looked to initially be correct, Siver has since gone on an incredible 7-1 UFC run, including big wins over George Sotiropoulos and Matt Wiman. With a win here, Siver could be one or two wins away from a title shot.
Dennis Siver vs Donald Cerrone Odds;
Donald Cerrone was the golden boy of the WEC, however after suffering consecutive losses to Benson Henderson, people believed he may have been overhyped. The test of time has been very kind to Cerrone, as Henderson now finds himself in a #1 contender fight with Clay Guida (as a significant favorite), and Cerrone has since gone 3-0 in the UFC, dominating all three opponents. Most recently, Cerrone fought rising star Charles Oliveira, which saw Cerrone stop Oliveira in the first round with strikes after landing a brutal body shot.
Siver has always been known as a kickboxer, and is especially known for his patented spinning back kick. I find it very unlikely that Siver will attempt any takedowns in this fight, and expect him to try to keep the fight standing.
Cerrone on the other hand has a few question marks. He’s a lot more well rounded than Siver, and may even be the better kickboxer. He’s unquestionably the better wrestler and has the better jiujitsu, and there’s a good possibility that he elects to bring this fight to the ground. For me, it’s very difficult to predict whether Cerrone will look to stay on the outside, or whether he will look to take Siver down immediately.
At the time, Siver’s wins over Sotiropoulos and Wiman seemed very impressive. However the reality is that Cerrone is a better wrestler and striker than both. Siver was soundly outstruck by Ross Pearson, whereas Cerrone has never been outstruck in his career.
The Dennis Siver vs Donald Cerrone prediction is that Cerrone uses leg kicks to set up a takedown, where he stops Siver on the ground. It’s not outside the realm of possibilities that Siver catches Cerrone with a big looping punch, as he unquestionably throws bombs and Cerrone gets hit way more often than he should. Further, it’s just as possible that Cerrone gets “mesmerized” by Siver’s active striking style, and manages to lose a decision. The reality is that neither appears particularly likely. Cerrone should be able to outstrike Siver, and I’m fairly confident that he has the wrestling to take this fight to the ground if he needs to. I’m surprised that Cerrone isn’t a bigger favorite, and at -210 odds, I think a small to moderate play has to be warranted.
Conclusion: Cerrone is better everywhere, and wins this fight standing or on the ground. He can theoretically get outstruck, but at -210 odds, a small to moderate play is warranted.
