Of all the UFC events that have taken place recently, perhaps UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill is the one that has been struck the most by the injury bug, in terms of what the original fight card was supposed to look like.
Originally, Frankie Edgar was supposed to face Gray Maynard; but as luck would have it, both went down with injury and the bout would subsequently be cancelled.
Meanwhile, Thiago Silva was to originally face Quinton Jackson but Silva bowed out for alleged reasons ranging from an injury to a rumored whisper about Silva failing a pre-fight drug test at UFC 125. Nonetheless, Rashad Evans was supposed to replace Silva but like the Edgar-Maynard bout, this didn’t pan out either. Matt Hamill was picked to take on Jackson after the smoke cleared.
Also, Brad Pickett had to be scratched from the event because of injury; as a result, Demetrious Johnson took his place as the opponent of Miguel Torres.
Renan Barao, because of the change to the Torres-Johnson fight, will instead take on Cole Escovedo.
Another injury that changes UFC 130 involved Norifumi Yamamoto; he was to face Chris Cariaso, but an injury turned this bout into Cariaso against Michael McDonald instead.
Lastly, Cody McKenzie was to take on Bart Palaszewski in this event, but again, an injury erased Palaszewski from consideration in this fight and UFC president Dana White announced that Gleison Tibau would replace McKenzie on the fight card. Long story short – Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira.
After all of that, replacements would be found, and the card will take place. Speaking of which, UFC 130 will take place Saturday night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV and will have 10 bouts, featuring Jackson vs. Hamill as the main event while Frank Mir will face Roy Nelson in the co-main event.
Below, look for the bout’s opponents, a narrative and my prediction, respectively. With that being said, here are my picks for UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill:
Last event (UFC 129): 9-3
PRELIMINARY CARD (FACEBOOK)
- Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo: Barao is 25-1 with a no-contest in his ledger while Escovedo is 17-6. Barao is for the most part a submission-type of fighter while Escovedo has won 10 of his fights by submission. This fight will be one in which whoever establishes position on the mat and keeps busy will prevail. I haven’t seen a whole lot of the Brazilian (Barao), but his brown belt in BJJ should serve him well during the fight. Barao by unanimous decision.
- Michael McDonald vs. Chris Cariaso: McDonald, the youngest fighter in this fight card, should have his hands full facing Caraiso. Cannot discount the fact that McDonald is a kickboxer/BJJ combo fighter. Apparently it works for him as his 12-1 record (7 wins by KO)indicates that he’s well-ronded. Caraiso, on the other hand, is a Muay Thai specialist, with seven of his 11 wins going the distance which suggests that he can’t finish his opponents with regularity. McDonald should be able to take Cariaso to the mat and ground-and-pound his way to the victory. McDonald by TKO, late-1st round.
- Gleison Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira: This bout shouldn’t last very long just due to the fact that Tibau’s wrestling, BJJ and conditioning (cardio) will be superior to what Oliveira brings to the fight. Look for this one to be won by Tibau by submission as Oliveira will likely be choked out. Tibau by submission, early-2nd round.
PRELIMINARY CARD (SPIKE TV)
- Kendall Grove vs. Tim Boetsch: An interesting matchup here. Grove, based on his UFC record alone, could be in a win-or-else situation here while Boetsch has fared better with the promotion. Nonetheless, Grove does have the BJJ/Muay Thai background going for him while Boetsch specializes in wrestling and Jeet Kune Do. I look for this fight to go to the mat, with neither fighter being able to dominate for a long stretch. In other words, this one goes to the judges. Boetsch by unanimous decision.
- Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson: A replacement bout that will be better than advertised. Torres is going to have a huge advantage over Johnson, in my humble opinion. His 39-3 record in MMA is no fluke, folks. Anyone who has watched his bouts knows he’s a submission specialist; on the flip side, Johnson isa wrestler, pure and simple. I’m going on record and pick this quick bout as the Submission of the Night candidate. Torres by submission, mid-2nd round.
MAIN CARD
- Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago: Stann has a diverse type of fighting style (Kickboxing/MCMAP/Submission Wrestling), due in part to his Marine Corps background. Santiago, on the other hand, is a BJJ/Muay Thai combatant. As well-rounded as Stann may be, I expect Santiago to take this bout to the mat and make Stann tap out relatively early. Santiago by submission, mid-2nd round.
- Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story: Finally, a bout that’s gonna be one that will decided by one punch. In other words, this one will be won by knockout or TKO. Alves should win this one easily, just because Story’s fighting style is wrestling – collegiate wrestling, at that. And as I previously stated, this one will be won by a closed fist to the face – in this case, Alves’ fist meeting Story’s head. my pick for Knockout of the Night. Alves by TKO, early-3rd round.
- Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne: Struve is a interesting case study here as while he has beaten some quality opponents. he got his clocked cleaned by Roy Nelson. Not saying that Nelson is a pushover, but come on now. Nevertheless, the Swedish skyscraper, a submission specialist by and large, will take on Browne, who is heavy-handed (codespeak for a striker). This bout could very well be a carbon-copy of the Struve-Nelson bout; however, I think that Struve’s reach will serve him well as he should be able to take down Browne and subsequently choke him out. Struve by submission, mid-2nd round.
- Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson: Mir, as most of you already know, is well-rounded in his fight reportoire while Nelson – the Kung Fu Panda of the UFC – surprisingly has BJJ and Shaolin Kung Fu skills, yet can knock you out if you’re not careful. This bout will be tough to call; yet for some reason, I sense that Nelson is gonna persevere and knockout or TKO Mir late in the fight. Don’t let Nelson’s physique fool you – he has very good cardio. My Fight of the Night pick. Nelson by TKO, late 3rd-round.
- Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill: As much as I love Rampage, you cannot underestimate Hamill and what he brings to the ring Saturday night. Yes, Jackson is a wrestler/boxer; however, Hamill is very well-rounded (Freestyle Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). And that is a recipe for disaster for Rampage. While most main event fights usually go the distance, this one will not, with Hamill TKOing Jackson in the 3rd round. Hamill by TKO, mid-3rd round.
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