UFC 162: July 6, 2013 MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada UFC Featherweight Contender Cub Swanson (-170) Profile: Former WEC featherweight title contender Cub Swanson (19-5) had a pretty good run in the WEC leading up to a title shot loss to UFC champion Jose Aldo. Since then, the 29-year-old California native has seen positive results with a 6-2 mark, including a 4-1 mark in the UFC. Swanson suffered a frustrating submission loss to Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FOX 1, but he has since reeled off four wins in a row, successfully rebounding with an incredible knockout of George Roop at UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago followed by knockouts of Ross Pearson and Charles Oliveira that both earned post-fight bonuses and a unanimous decision victory against Dustin Poirier. He is a very entertaining fighter who also won Fight of the Night in the WEC three times before the company was absorbed by the UFC. Swanson is a complete mixed martial artist trained by Greg Jackson and has proven he can finish the fight standing or on the ground. UFC Featherweight Contender Dennis Siver (+130) Profile: Dennis Siver (21-8) is a grizzled veteran of the fight game, starting his career back in 2004 and signing with the UFC in 2007. During his time in the Octagon, Siver has gone 10-5 overall following a rough 1-3 start. The 34-year-old has spent the vast majority of his time at lightweight, but after losing somewhat consistently to opponents in the top tier of that deep division, he has successfully made the move to featherweight, where he is undefeated with victories over Nam Phan and Diego Nunes. Siver is best-known for his stand-up, but he also uses his striking to set up submissions on the ground. With five post-fight bonuses to his credit, including two for Knockout of the Night, two for Fight of the Night and one for Submission of The Night, Siver remains a fun guy to watch who is always ready to put on a show.
Opening UFC 162 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Swanson a slight -170 favorite (bet $170 to win $100) while Siver opened as a +130 underdog (bet $100 to win $130) at Several Bookmakers sportsbook. This is really an intriguing matchup between two of the Top 15 featherweights in MMA today. Swanson has been on an absolute roll, winning four straight bouts in the UFC, including three knockouts. He was originally scheduled to face Siver earlier this year, but his opponent had to withdraw due to a knee injury. Now that Siver is healthy again, he will also look to extend his two-fight winning streak and go for his seventh victory in eight bouts. Siver is 2-0 at featherweight since dropping down from lightweight, and he has used his size to outwork his opponents and earn a pair of UD wins. Swanson will present him with a unique challenge because of his striking ability, although he has just as many submissions (seven) as knockouts. Siver is five years older than Swanson with five more fights on his résumé, although the real difference between the two is their experience in the UFC. Swanson spent one-third of his career in the WEC compared to Siver, who has seen more than half of his bouts (15) take place inside the Octagon. The big question is, has Siver seen his better days or has he been reborn at 145? MMA bettors know Swanson as a true featherweight who has been extra motivated since losing his UFC debut to Lamas. He has cashed tickets for his backers ever since and is clearly focused on working his way up the rankings until he gets a rematch with Aldo. Siver is the next opponent in line, but definitely not one Swanson should underestimate.