UFC 130: Rampage Outpoints Hamill After Edgar–Maynard Falls
UFC 130: Jackson vs. Hamill took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28, 2011. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson beat Matt Hamill by unanimous decision in the three-round main event, while Frank Mir outpointed Roy Nelson in an all-Las Vegas heavyweight matchup. Travis Browne and Brian Stann supplied the main card’s finishes, and Demetrious Johnson earned a significant bantamweight victory on the five-fight preliminary card.
A changed headliner produces a clear Jackson victory
The event had originally been scheduled to feature Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard’s third meeting for the lightweight championship. Injuries to both men postponed that fight, which was intended to settle the split draw at UFC 125. Jackson–Hamill moved into the main-event slot, leaving UFC 130 without a championship bout.
Hamill looked to use his wrestling, but Jackson consistently defended the takedown attempts and answered with punches and knees. Hamill stayed in the fight and offered kicks and striking exchanges, yet could not establish the position from which his grappling would have become most effective. Jackson controlled the contest well enough to take every round on every scorecard.
Three 30–27 cards gave Jackson the unanimous decision. The result was emphatic even though the pace slowed at times and the bout lacked the knockout Jackson had sought. His takedown defense was the central success: it denied Hamill a dependable route into the fight and allowed the former champion to maintain the exchanges on his own terms.
Jackson had previously edged Lyoto Machida at UFC 123. This win provided a less disputed outcome and kept him relevant near the top of the light heavyweight division, which Jon Jones had transformed by taking the championship at UFC 128.
Mir controls Nelson; Browne supplies the heavyweight highlight
Frank Mir used a varied attack against Roy Nelson, combining knees, kicks, takedowns and ground offense. Nelson absorbed considerable punishment and kept returning to his feet, but he could not sustain enough offense to reverse the direction of the fight. Mir won by scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 30–26, giving the co-main event a decisive winner after fifteen minutes.
The decision added a different kind of victory to Mir’s recent record after his knockout of Cro Cop at UFC 119. Against Nelson, his success depended on repeating effective work across three rounds rather than finding a single late finish.
Travis Browne’s fight with Stefan Struve ended much faster. Browne landed a Superman punch that dropped Struve and finished the heavyweight contest at 4:11 of round one. The knockout earned him Knockout of the Night honors and preserved his unbeaten record. Their matchup supplied the immediate striking finish that the two headlining decisions did not.
Stann and Story continue their progress
Brian Stann stopped Jorge Santiago late in round two. Santiago survived an earlier knockdown, but Stann’s pressure and damaging strikes kept the returning middleweight from settling into his preferred rhythm. A second-round right hand and follow-up punches produced the stoppage at 4:29. The fight received Fight of the Night honors and continued Stann’s momentum after his win over Chris Leben at UFC 125.
Rick Story beat former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves by unanimous decision. His pressure, wrestling and close-range work established an advantage before Alves rallied in the final round. All three judges scored the fight 29–28 for Story. The win was a meaningful step against a proven opponent rather than simply another addition to a prospect’s record.
Johnson edges Torres on a competitive preliminary card
Demetrious Johnson took a close unanimous decision over former WEC champion Miguel Torres. All three cards read 29–28, and the result was disputed by part of the crowd. Torres remained dangerous with reversals and submission attempts, making this an active grappling contest rather than an uncomplicated shutout.
Tim Boetsch won his middleweight debut against Kendall Grove by unanimous decision. Gleison Tibau submitted Rafaello Oliveira with a rear-naked choke, earning Submission of the Night, while Michael McDonald edged Chris Cariaso by split decision. Renan Barão opened his UFC career with a unanimous decision over Cole Escovedo. Those bouts gave the preliminaries important significance for the developing bantamweight and middleweight fields.
Complete UFC 130 results
Main card
- Quinton Jackson def. Matt Hamill — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve — KO (punch); round 1, 4:11.
- Rick Story def. Thiago Alves — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago — TKO (punches); round 2, 4:29.
Preliminary card
- Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Gleison Tibau def. Rafaello Oliveira — submission (rear-naked choke); round 2, 3:28.
- Michael McDonald def. Chris Cariaso — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Renan Barão def. Cole Escovedo — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 130, UFC Results, Mixed Martial Arts
