UFC 168 results, photos: Dennis Siver outworks game Manny Gamburyan

LAS VEGAS – Striking specialist Dennis Siver found success on the mat against Manny Gamburyan and finished strong after 15 minutes.

Although he struggled in the second round, Siver took home unanimous scores of 29-28.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 168 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on MMAjunkie and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Gamburyan initially winged big hooks at Siver and wound up slammed to the mat, where he threatened with an armbar attempt that forced Siver to defend. Siver dodged a subsequent heel hook attempt to get up, and he began to unload kicks.

Gamburyan opted for his own takedown, and threatened with another leglock. Siver, though, turned the tables and took his back, ending the round in dominant position.

An early clash dropped Gamburyan in the second, but he recovered and took the fight to the ground, where he cut Siver with an elbow and scored with ground and pound. Another takedown prevented Siver from replying.

Siver worked from Gamburyan’s playbook in the third, securing a takedown and firing down punches. When Gamburyan tried to escape, he again took the back and kept busy with punches and elbows. Gamburyan fought a choke, but could do little but survive.

“This was a very important win for me because last time I fought in Las Vegas, I lost,” Siver said. “I really wanted to show the UFC fans what I could do out there, but the game plan didn’t go exactly how we planned. The strategy was to keep it on the feet and maintain my distance. Still, we were able to pull out a win, so I’m pleased with the result.”

Dennis Siver (22-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is back in the winner’s circle after a TKO loss to Cub Swanson in his most recent showing at UFC 162. Gamburyan (13-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) goes back to the drawing board after a controversial decision over Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 26.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 168 results include:

• Dennis Siver def. Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• John Howard def. Siyar Bahadurzada via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• William Macario def. Bobby Voelker via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Robbie Peralta def. Estevan Payan via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 0:12

For complete coverage of UFC 168, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.