BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch & Dennis Siver vs George Sotiropoulos made for UFC 127

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At the post-fight press conference after UFC 123, Dana White announced two huge matches for the promotion’s return to Australia. Unsurprisngly one of the matchups features the UFC’s most prominent Aussie fighter with George Sotiropoulos slotted to face Dennis Siver at UFC 127. That should be a really interesting clash of styles with the former German kickboxing champion well placed to test the suspect standup of the Australian jiu-jitsu black belt. If Sotiropoulos can overcome the best striker he’s ever faced in the Octagon, then he’ll be well placed to claim a shot at the World Lightweight Title. And of course it’ll mean a lot to the Australian fans to see George Sotriopoulos to fight in his home country.

The other match (and likely main event) is the next step in BJ Penn’s return to the welterweight division with the Prodigy facing the consensus second-best fighter at 170Ibs in Jon Fitch. This is an incredibly exciting fight and should give us a proper idea where the two fighters stand today. For Penn it’ll be a chance to prove that he can compete against a large, athletic welterweight while for Fitch it’ll be a chance to prove himself against a quality opponent. What’s more Penn could pose a significant stylistic challenge for Fitch, providing he can use his once legendary takedown defense to keep the fight standing. If Penn can block the takedowns of Fitch then fans would finally have the opportunity to see whether Fitch’s striking has improved after the hellacious beatdown that George St. Pierre inflicted on him in 2008.

Along with the post-Ashes return of Michael Bisping to Australia, UFC 127 is shaping up to be a great event for both live fans and those watching on pay per view.

A Comics Nexus original, Will Cooling has written about comics since 2004 despite the best efforts of the industry to kill his love of the medium. He now spends much of his time over at Inside Fights where he gets to see muscle-bound men beat each up without retcons and summer crossovers.