B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch, George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver coming to Australia for UFC 127

Posted by Dylan Horner (Staff Writer)

Nov 21

Following the conclusion of UFC 123, Dana White wasted little time in announcing two matchups for the UFC 127 Australian card. Now scheduled for the main event is UFC 123 KO of the Night winner, BJ Penn against Jon Fitch and Fight of the Night winner George Sotiropoulous against Dennis Siver will grace the main portion of the card.

Before the announcement was made, BJ was quoted as saying he “wants to get right back in the cage and wants to fight as much as he can until he’s 35 and then call it quits.”

Fitch, who has gone 5-0 since losing to George St. Pierre was originally scheduled to face Jake Ellenberger on this card. When that was announced, many people considered it a step back for Fitch and not beneficial to him at all. However, with Penn being a former Welterweight champion, a win over him could give him the title shot that has been just out of reach for so long.

In his most recent fights, Jon Fitch has been labeled as a boring fighter and coined as a “lay and pray” fighter. When you take into consideration Penn’s high level of grappling and excellent BJJ skills, Fitch won’t be able to “lay and prey.” Not only is Penn difficult to take down, but when his fights go to the ground, he is very flexible and has a very active guard. Fitch will definitely have his hands full with Penn, and may need a new game plan if he wants to win.

At the Pre-Fight Press Conference, Dana White was asked by an Australian reporter if he planned on putting George Sotiropoulous on the Australian card. After a brief comedic exchange between White, the reporter and George, the final verdict was “yes, I would love to have him down there on that card.”

The time has come, and Sotiropoulous now has an opponent: the dangerous kickboxer, Dennis Siver. In his last fight, Siver shocked many people by winning by submission over TUF alum Andre Winner. In his time in the UFC, Sotiropoulous has yet to face anybody with Siver’s striking abilities. Known for his ground game and working with Eddie Bravo at 10^th Planet Jui-Jitsu, Sotiropoulous will probably look to take the fight to the ground and work his submissions.

With the addition of these two bouts, UFC 127, set for the Acer Arena in Sydney on February 27, is starting to shape out nicely. Also rumored for this card is a Middleweight fight between Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping, plus a Welterweight bout between top contenders Carlos Condit and Chris Lytle. As the fight draws nearer, be sure to check back for more announced bouts.