At Home in the Cage

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Another factor on Siver’s side -- experience -- cannot be denied. At 32-years-old, he has more than seven years of mixed martial arts and 20 years of combat sports seasoning under his belt. Nordin Asrih, who appeared on Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” remembers their beginnings on the Outsider Cup circuit, Germany’s longest-running newcomer event.

“I still remember when Dennis had his first important fight,” Asrih says. “We were both fighting on the same card. Dennis sat down in a corner of the locker room and was watching the other fighters. Everybody has his own ritual before a fight. I asked him, ‘What’s up?’ and he answered, ‘Nothing.’ I asked if he was nervous, and he replied, ‘A little bit.’ I told him that his opponent also puts his pants on one leg at a time, to go out there, smash that guy’s face in and take your money home. Dennis cracked up and ended up stopping the guy on strikes in 17 seconds. That’s seven years ago already. How time flies.”

Most assumed Siver would face another serious contender following his victory over Sotiropoulos. Instead, he drew “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 alum Matt Wiman at UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber 2” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“To be honest, I expected a different caliber of opponent,” Siver says, “but, after all, the UFC is calling the shots, and I will once again try to show them with a good fight that I’m ready for Top 10 guys. Still, I can’t afford to underestimate Matt; he’s a strong opponent himself, a good all-’rounder with excellent conditioning and somebody who has won most of his fights. He is a dangerous, unpredictable and durable fighter with a style that’s very uncomfortable to go up against.”

Siver acknowledges the fact that fighters like Clay Guida remain ahead of him in the lightweight division pecking order, despite his current three-fight winning streak.

“The reason for that is because I’m not American and not as popular as Guida, [Gray] Maynard or [Jim] Miller in the States,” he says. “Nonetheless, I believe in myself, I’m highly motivated, I love the sport, I’m eager to learn and willing to struggle hard to reach my goal, [which] is fighting for the UFC lightweight title one day.”

Wiman has endured his own trials. Like Siver, however, he enters UFC 132 on a three-fight winning streak. He last appeared at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” in January, when he dominated American Top Team’s Cole Miller en route to a three-round decision. Wiman, 27, figures to present a legitimate challenge to Siver’s takedown defense, a challenger the German’s head coach, Sulenta, feels confident they can tackle.

“At Kiboju, we basically train every day,” the brawny judoka says. “When preparing for a fight, we even train twice a day in wrestling, jiu-jitsu [and] running, as well as strength and conditioning. By training hard and often, Dennis has improved all aspects of his game. We have incorporated a specific fight preparation for Wiman that includes video analysis, which we use to put together technique, tactics and strategies.

“What really distinguishes Dennis is his diligence, his relentlessness -- even against himself in training -- and most of all the implementation of the game plan we agree upon,” Sulenta adds. “I think you can be successful anywhere -- that includes Germany -- when you do things not only with the head but also with the heart. If you are ready to do anything to achieve a goal, to sacrifice everything for your dream, success is bound to come sooner or later. Nothing is stronger than an idea or a thing whose time has come.”

The MMA world may soon find out whether or not Siver’s time has come.

Contact Tim Leidecker at www.facebook.com/Rossonero1 or follow him on Twitter @TimLeidecker.