In a battle of two European lightweights, Germany's Dennis Siver put on a great show in front of the hometown fans in Oberhausen, Germany, submitting England's Andre Winner in the first round of their fight Saturday at UFC 122.

"Thank you very much to the German crowd, to the German public," the victorious Siver said afterward. "It was my duty to win here. It was the most important thing in my life."

Siver first dropped Winner with a big left hand to the nose, then pounced on Winner on the ground, took his back, and sunk in a rear-naked choke to force Winner to tap at 3:37 of the first round. It was an extremely impressive showing for the well-rounded Siver, improving his professional record to 17-7, including nine wins by submission.

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Winner a former Ultimate Fighter finalist, falls to 11-5-1 and has now dropped two in a row. He's in danger of getting cut by the UFC.

Although Siver is the most important fighter in the UFC's efforts to expand into Germany, he has shown in the cage that he's more than just a guy who can excite the hometown fans: He's also a legitimate fighter who's competitive in the lightweight division, and he now has six wins inside the Octagon.


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