Disappointing to some, exciting to others, and ho-hum for the rest. Indeed, UFC 130 received some mixed reactions from fight fans.
Though there were numerous knockouts and nail-biting moments on the card, the lack of title fights and less-than-stellar main events certainly drew the ire of some viewers.
The main event saw former light-heavyweight champ Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson outwork and out-hustle a game yet over-matched Matt ‘The Hammer’ Hamill. Hamill, a former Division III collegiate wrestler, was unsuccessful with all his takedown attempts over the 15-minute period.
Jackson, himself a former wrestler on the junior college level, easily shucked off Hamill’s offense and returned fire with punishing punches and the occasional leg kick. All three judges scored it 30-27 for ‘Rampage’.
Jackson’s methodical win over the former “The Ultimate Fighter” contestant may have earned him a title shot against Jon Jones. According to UFC president Dana White, this all depends on the severity of an apparent hand injury sustained by Jackson last year, which was further aggravated in the Hamill fight.
The co-main event saw more of the same, as a motivated and well-conditioned Frank Mir dominated an increasingly rotund Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson. Though both fighters weighed in at 260lbs, the disparity in muscle and body fat was very apparent.
The fitter ex-champ Mir repeatedly punished and took down the durable Nelson throughout the fight, which included a masterful harai goshi judo throw in the first round. Mir, who has won his last two fights since losing to Shane Carwin at UFC 111, is eying title contention.
In other action, the highly-touted ‘Skypscraper’ Stefan Struve was brutally knocked out via superman punch by Travis Browne in a battle of towering giants. Despite scoring some surprising takedowns, a lacklustre Thiago Alves lost to the improving Rick Story by unanimous decision. And former U.S. Marine Brian Stann had a memorable Memorial Day weekend, defeating Jorge Santiago by TKO in the second round.
Winners:
‘Rampage’ Jackson: The win over Hamill elevates him into title contention, provided that he can stay injury-free.
Matt Hamill: Despite the loss to Jackson, his stock improves from lasting against a big-name opponent. Big fights ahead for the ‘Hammer’.
Frank Mir: Looks to finally be settling into his bigger frame, and is as well-conditioned as ever at 260lbs.
Travis Browne: His knockout superman punch will be on every sport show’s highlight reel for the next week or so.
Rick Story: A win over a former top contender further pushes his ascent up the welterweight ladder.
Brian Stann: The ex-jarhead’s popularity and skills continue to soar with every outing
Losers:
Roy Nelson: What was once a novelty has now become a hindrance. His infamous gut and poor conditioning will continue to keep him from beating the naturally bigger and equally skilled heavyweights.
Stefan Struve: A knockout like that can be psychologically damaging, and could take a while to recover from.
Thiago Alves: A man who once co-headlined UFC 100, Alves has now been relegated to prelim status. The loss to Story doesn’t help his cause.
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