UFC on Fuel TV 2 Preview: The Main Card

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Featherweights
Dennis Siver (19-8, 8-5 UFC) vs. Diego Nunes (17-2, 2-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Nunes has locked horns with a converted lightweight before, when he faced Kenny Florian and fell to the Massachusetts native via unanimous decision at UFC 131. In that bout, Florian was able to wear down the Nova Uniao product with takedowns and ground-and-pound, negating Nunes’ speed advantage on the feet.

Now the Brazilian squares off with Siver, who makes his 145-pound debut after being submitted by Donald Cerrone at UFC 137. If he survives the weight cut without issue, Siver figures to have an advantage on the feet, where he is a dynamic kickboxer who is able to generate power from a compact build. In addition to being able to vary his kicks to the legs, head and body, Siver is able to land exotic offerings such as the spinning-back kick when given the opportunity.

Nunes rebounded from his loss to Florian with a victory over Manny Gamburyan at UFC 141, using low kicks and knees to keep the fight upright against the former WEC title holder. While well-rounded, “The Gun” is not known as a finisher, as all of his fights in Zuffa-based promotions since 2008 have gone the distance. That said, he is a well-conditioned and intelligent competitor who will be sure to capitalize if Siver’s conditioning suffers from the weight cut. Nunes might very well experience more success if he can get the Russian-born German to the mat, but Siver possesses excellent upper-body strength that figures to become more pronounced against smaller opponents. That strength also aids him in tie-ups, where he likes to do damage with knees.

The Pick: Nunes has never been finished in 19 professional fights, so it isn’t likely that Siver will get a knockout. Instead, he will have to use his kickboxing to keep Nunes off balance. Nunes’ all-around skill will make things interesting, but Siver takes a decision.

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