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      UFC 130 Preview: Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago

      May 26, 2011 /

      nullSomething has to give.

      Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago are both on the rise in the middleweight division. But, at UFC 130, one fighter will continue to make the climb up the ladder, while the other will fall back.

      Here is a look at both fighters heading into this key contest for Saturday’s PPV.

      Brian Stann (10-3) – Not much was known or expected of Brian Stann when it was announced that he was moving from light heavyweight to middleweight after a loss to Phil Davis at UFC 109. But, Stann has won his first two bouts at 185 pounds, both by finish. He really broke onto the scene with his first round KO of Chris Leben at UFC 125 and is now being considered a legitimate threat in the division. Stann has big power in his hands and is under rated on the ground. As a former member of the Naval Academy and Marine Corps, Stann is a fighter that won’t panic, as he has faced much greater danger in his life than being inside the octagon. Stann is still developing his style in MMA and has not really faced a fighter with the muay thai ability that Santiago has. Stann’s grappling and clinch game will be very important in this contest if he hopes to win.

      Jorge Santiago (23-8) – Santiago had a stint in the UFC back in 2006, but he went 1-2 with losses to Leben and Alan Belcher, both by KO. Since that time he has went 11-0 with five knockouts and five submissions. Santiago is slick on the ground as he is a great jiu-jitsu fighter, but he also has a lot of power with his hands, knees, and kicks. Santiago likes to throw some crazy knees and has the ability to be very explosive. Where Santiago will have to be careful is to not sit in the pocket and trade punches with Stann. It is things like that that caused him to go 1-2 in the UFC before. Santiago will also have to keep Stann from putting his weight on him and slowing him down.

      Who Will Win: I like Stann in this fight. Santiago is a skilled and exciting fighter, but I like the poise and focus that Stann has. I look for Stann to weather an early storm from Santiago before hitting a big right hand in the second round that will lead to a TKO finish for the “All American”.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      MMA Top 10 Pound-For-Pound Rankings

      May 25, 2011 /

      nullWell, I have released all of my rankings for each weight class, so now I work my way back to my pound-for-pound list.

      There hasn’t been an overwhelming amount of action in the UFC in the two months since I first released this list, but here is a look at the latest rankings.

      1. Anderson Silva (28-4): Silva hasn’t competed since last February against Vitor Belfort, but he does have a fight that is getting closer and closer. Silva will face Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in August, looking to avenge a DQ loss to Okami back in 2006. Silva still has been the most impressive champion the UFC has ever had, despite a few lackluster performances. His knockout wins are legendary and his KO of Belfort was one of the greatest front kicks ever seen in MMA.

      2. Georges St. Pierre (22-2): St. Pierre successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship against Jake Shields back at UFC 129 on April 30. It was another decision win for GSP, making it four straight, but a win nonetheless. St. Pierre suffered an eye injury during the bout, which hampered him in the final few rounds. Still, GSP is dealing with a lot of criticism following the bout and is now likely to face Strikeforce champion, Nick Diaz, as opposed to moving up to middleweight to face Silva.

      3. Jose Aldo (19-1): Aldo also defended his UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 129, beating Mark Hominick by decision. Aldo looked very beatable in the fifth and final round, as he was taken down and pounded on by a bloody Hominick in the final five minutes, but he still managed to do enough prior to that to earn a win. Aldo was originally expected to face Chad Mendes at UFC 133 in a title defense, but a medical suspension will keep Aldo from fighting until the fall of 2011.

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      Fighters, Rankings, UFC

      UFC 130 Preview: Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson

      May 25, 2011 /

      nullThe co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 130 is a heavyweight clash between top contenders Frank Mir and Roy Nelson.

      Both men need a win to stay among the elite in the division. A loss will send either fighter back down the ladder with a lengthy climb to earn a title shot.

      Here is a look at what each fighter brings to the octagon for this bout:

      Frank Mir (14-5) – Mir is a former champion in the UFC and he started as a submission expert that was able to quickly finish guys with some very complex submissions. As Mir has evolved with the times, his striking has improved greatly and he has picked up a series of knockout victories over recent years. Mir’s struggles come with over-powering strikers like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. He was unable to get those fighters to the ground and couldn’t deal with their power in terms of striking.

      Roy Nelson (15-5) – Nelson is a large man but he is deceptively strong and a solid grappler. Though built more like Homer Simpson, Nelson is a very experienced grappler and a black belt in jiu-jitsu. He actually defeated Mir in a grappling match a few years back. I feel like Nelson has more punching power than Mir and should have the edge on his feet, but his conditioning could be a factor as Mir is in better shape. Mir also has the experience on the ground in the UFC that Nelson still doesn’t quite have, and that could also be a factor.

      Who Will Win: This fight should be close and really is a coin toss. Mir has the experience, but I think this is a bad matchup for him. He has gotten more and more confident in his striking and gone away from the style that made him one of the best. If he tries to trade blows with Nelson, it is going to be a bad night for Mir. I look for Nelson to find a way to earn the TKO during this bout.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      UFC 130 Preview: Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill

      May 24, 2011 /

      nullIn the main event of Saturday’s UFC 130, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson squares off with Matt “The Hammer” Hamill.

      A win for Rampage is expected to put him in line for a title shot while a win for Hamill will thrust him into the top contender discussion.

      Here is a look what each fighter brings to the cage:

      Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8) – Rampage is still one of the most intimidating fighters in all of MMA. His powerful hands are still amongst the best in the division and he always is a threat for a one-punch knockout. Jackson has under-rated grappling skills, but he has been susceptible to the takedown recently. Where Jackson struggles is against opponents that have diverse striking, mainly leg kicks, and have explosive takedowns. Jackson can win this fight by keeping it standing and out-striking Hamill.

      Matt Hamill (10-2) – Hamill has quietly worked his way up the light heavyweight division. He is on a five-fight win streak with decision wins over Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine in his last two bouts. Hamill is primarily a wrestler, but he has improved his striking over the last few years and shows good movement when on his feet. It will be tough for Jackson to land a clean shot on Hamill if he continues to use the footwork he has in recent bouts. Where Hamill needs to take this fight is to the ground, where he can control Rampage and earn a decision. I don’t look for Hamill to earn a KO or a submission, but I think he has a better chance of winning than many think.

      Who Will Win: I think this will really be a competitive fight and really test both fighter’s will. I expect Jackson to have to fight off his back during periods of this fight and I also expect Hamill to have to recover from a stiff punch from Jackson. Ultimately, I think Hamill will be a little too cautious in his first PPV main event bout, and that will cost him a decision in the long run to the more aggressive Jackson.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      A look at the UFC 130 prelims

      May 24, 2011 /

      nullWith the recent addition of the WEC roster, the UFC now has stacked Pay-Per-View cards from top-to-bottom.

      That includes the prelims, which now typically includes a few fights that are worthy of being on the PPV broadcast, but don’t quite make the cut.

      At UFC 130, to top bantamweights collide as Miguel Torres (39-3) faces Demetrious Johnson (8-1). The winner of this fight immediately jumps into the top-5 contender status. Torres may already be there and there are plenty of exciting fights for him. Johnson is on the rise after beating “Kid” Yamamoto in his UFC debut back at UFC 126. Torres is now training at Tri-Star Gym in Montreal and his style has changed. He isn’t quite the reckless fighter he was before, but now he is taking criticism for being too cautious. Johnson will look to get inside the long reach of Torres and score takedowns to work his way for a victory on the ground.

      Another featured prelim is a middleweight contest between Kendall Grove (12-8) and Tim Boetsch (12-4). Boetsch is making his middleweight debut and both fighters may need a win in order to keep a job in the UFC. Boetsch will come in looking to strike with his powerful fists while Grove will look to get the fight to the ground or in the clinch where he can use his knees. The big question for this fight will be Boetsch ability to not get winded against Grove, who pushes a fast pace.

      Other bouts on the prelim card include Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo in a bantamweight contest, Chris Cariaso vs. Michael McDonald in a bantamweight fight, and Gleison Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira in a lightweight clash.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

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