Dennis Siver explains why getting knocked down by B.J. Penn was actually a good thing

OKLAHOMA CITY – Most fighters would argue that getting knocked down is not exactly something you welcome during a scrap.

Not Dennis Siver, though. After taking a majority decision over former two-division champ B.J. Penn (16-12-2 MMA, 12-11-2 UFC) on Sunday, Siver (23-11 MMA, 12-8 UFC) said the right hand that sent him straight to the canvas in the second round of their featherweight encounter turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“Actually, it was good for me,” Siver said through an interpreter after the FS1-televised main-card scrap at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. “Of course I got knocked down by B.J., but I could recover on the ground. Because B.J. was active, and I was passive. My break got even longer from just laying there and holding him. So, actually, it was good for me. Played out well.”

The win snapped a two-fight skid and a two-year layoff for Siver, who was coming off a decision loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri and a knockout defeat to current lightweight champion Conor McGregor. While the result provided him with some relief, the 38-fighter is now focused on getting back to his family before making any plans for his octagon future.

Penn’s next steps, in turn, seems a lot murkier now. While he did show flashes of his old self during Sunday’s affair, the fact is that the 38-year-old UFC Hall of Famer is currently riding a five-fight skid. He has not won since a 2010 knockout of Matt Hughes, which he followed up with a draw against Jon Fitch.

In spite of Penn’s current downswing, Siver does feel a special sense of accomplishment in beating such a big name.

“It fulfills my dreams, actually,” Siver said. “You don’t fight a legend like B.J. Penn every day. It feels awesome.”

To hear more from Siver, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 112, check out the UFC Events section of the site.