UFC 130 Prelim Results – Mighty Mouse upsets Torres

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – Rising bantamweight star Demetrious Johnson scored the biggest win of his pro career in UFC 130 prelim action at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night, outpointing former WEC champion Miguel Angel Torres over three rounds. Wat…

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – Rising bantamweight star Demetrious Johnson scored the biggest win of his pro career in UFC 130 prelim action at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night, outpointing former WEC champion Miguel Angel Torres over three rounds. Watch post-fight interview

The close unanimous decision for Johnson, which was booed by fans in attendance, read 29-28 across the board.

Johnson was a dervish at the bell, landing leg kicks with ease before shooting in and getting Torres to the canvas. Torres pulled off a slick reversal though and tried to sink in an arm triangle. Johnson stayed cool under pressure and fought his way loose, Torres kept the heat on though, as he fired off ground strikes and attempted to improve his position. Johnson then pulled off a reversal of his own, with Torres responding by trying to lock up his foe’s leg. A burst of action finished the round as the two 135-pounders battled for position.

The fast pace didn’t let up in round two, with Torres doing nice work on the mat and while standing. Johnson didn’t stop moving in a quest to make something happen, but he was forced to deal with a number of Torres submission attempts in the process.

The bout turned into a war of nerves on the mat in round three, with Johnson’s top game keeping him in control, but Torres’ defense and bottom game keeping “Mighty Mouse” from truly taking over. With two minutes left, Torres made his move as he reversed position, and 90 seconds later he almost sunk in a guillotine choke, but Johnson fought loose and reeled off a series of strikes before another last-second guillotine attempt by Torres came up empty.

With the win, Johnson improves to 14-1; Torres falls to 38-4.

BOETSCH VS. GROVE

Tim Boetsch made a successful jump to the middleweight division, just having too much muscle and wrestling for Kendall Grove, who was outpointed unanimously by “The Barbarian” over three rounds. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Boetsch, who improves to 13-4; Grove falls to 14-9 with 1 NC.

Boetsch was able to get Grove to the mat within the first minute of the bout, and he proceeded to land some ground strikes before the two scrambled back to their feet. The Maine native muscled his foe to the mat as soon as he got close though, with Grove staying active from his back and earning his liberation from the canvas once again. Proceeding to lock up against the fence, the middleweights scrapped at close range on even terms until the end of the frame.

Still looking to overpower his foe, Boetsch got a roar from the crowd early in round two with a thudding slam of Grove. The Hawaiian, as is his tradition, kept battling back to his feet, but Boetsch refused to let him stay there for long as his takedowns were consistently on target.

The Boetsch gameplan continued working to perfection in the final round, as Grove had no answers for the former Division I wrestler’s attack. Even a flush shot to the face on a shoot by Boetsch didn’t change Grove’s fortunes, as he was sent tumbling again seconds later.

TIBAU VS. OLIVEIRA

Lightweight strongman Gleison Tibau made it two in a row, following up his win over Kurt Pellegrino in March with a second round submission victory over returning Rafaello Oliveira, who was a late replacement for the injured Bart Palaszewski. Tibau was a late sub as well for Palaszewski’s original foe Cody McKenzie. Watch post-fight interview

After some non-conclusive standup to begin the bout, Tibau scored a takedown of Oliveira, but “Tractor” rose quickly and the two resumed their standup match, each having their moments as the round progressed. With 90 seconds left, Tibau landed a hard shot and immediately followed up with a takedown. Oliveira scrambled to his feet, and was able to land a couple solid punches before the bell.

After some good back and forth action to begin round two, Tibau overpowered Oliveira midway through the round with an uppercut and sent him to the canvas. From there, he worked his way into the mount position, and when Oliveira turned, Tibau ended his night with a rear naked choke that forced a tap out at 3:28 of the stanza. The finish earned Tibau a $70,000 Submission of the Night bonus.

With the win, Tibau improves to 33-7; Oliveira falls to 14-4.

MCDONALD VS. CARIASO

Bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald kept his UFC hot streak going, impressively scoring a three round split decision over fellow Californian Chris Cariaso. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 27-30 for McDonald, who improves to 13-1; San Francisco’s Cariaso falls to 11-3.

Cooler than any 20 year old has the right to be in the Octagon, McDonald almost effortlessly pecked away at Cariaso, jarring him on a couple occasions while also doing solid work on the mat when the bout went there. Cariaso did make a late submission attempt as he reached for his foe’s leg, but for the most part, it was a McDonald round.

Opting not to fix what wasn’t broken, McDonald continued to dominate his game foe while standing in round two, with Cariaso unable to make up for the height and reach advantage enjoyed by the Modesto product. And just for emphasis, McDonald closed another impressive round with a takedown before the bell.

Cariaso was able to get top position on the mat early in the final round, but McDonald wasn’t flustered. Instead, he worked for a submission off his back until the two stood. Cariaso did turn the tables when they went back to the mat, but McDonald patiently pulled loose and returned to a standing position, where the two remained for the rest of the bout.

BARAO VS. ESCOVEDO

Brazil’s Renan Barao won a battle of debuting bantamweights over Cole Escovedo, earning a three round unanimous decision. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Barao, a WEC vet. Escovedo also spent time in the WEC, where he was the organization’s first featherweight champion.

“I’m very happy with this performance,” Barao said. “It’s been a dream come true to be here in the UFC and tonight, I accomplished a huge goal of fighting in the Octagon.”

After a quick slam by Barao to open up the fight, the first round settled into a more measured pace, with Barao working well from the top while Escovedo stayed active on the bottom and landed some good shots when the two stood.

Barao appeared to take a hard shot that put him to a knee early in round two, but he quickly responded with a takedown. Following a quick stay on the mat, there was some crisp standup by both men before another Barao takedown. A stalemate resulted in referee Steve Mazzagatti’s second restart of the bout, but like clockwork, the fight strayed back to the canvas for the rest of the round.

The Brazilian varied his attack in round three, landing a flying knee, spinning back fist and back kick, as well as a front kick to the head. Escovedo was unbothered by the shots and he kept firing back, but the points were piling up for Barao, who finally seemed to hurt his foe in the final two minutes with a punch to the head followed by another takedown. Escovedo cleared his head and landed some decent shots in return when he stood, but a final slam by Barao put an exclamation point on the win.

With the win, Barao improves to 28-1, 1 NC. Escovedo falls to 17-7.

UFC 130 Main Card Results: Nelson No Match for Improving Mir

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – Two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir kept his hopes alive for another title shot in the UFC 130 co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, showing off a varied array of skills that allowed him to dominate and defeat fellow La…

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – Two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir kept his hopes alive for another title shot in the UFC 130 co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, showing off a varied array of skills that allowed him to dominate and defeat fellow Las Vegan Roy Nelson via three round unanimous decision. See post-fight interview with Mir

Scores were 30-27 twice and 30-26.

After some uneventful grappling early on, Mir began landing well with some knees and kicks. Nelson fired back with punches upstairs that got his foe’s attention before he bulled him into the fence. Mir remained cool, and when he found his opening he drilled “Big Country” repeatedly with knee after knee. The steel-chinned Nelson took each shot well and resumed his attempt to wear Mir out against the fence.  With 1:20 left, the two broke and Nelson fired off punches and a kick to the head, none of which did any damage. The same couldn’t be said for the subsequent takedown by Mir, who shook the Octagon as he threw Nelson to the mat. Nelson got back to his feet fairly fast though, again showing his amazing resistance to pain. See post-fight interview with Nelson

Mir continued his varied attack as round two opened, as he landed two hard kicks to the body before he took Nelson down again.  This time he used his ground strikes effectively, but Nelson got back to his feet, only to take more close range shots before getting put on his back again. Unbreakable, Nelson fought his way up and free, and with fatigue evident, he still battled on, this time forcing Mir to the fence until referee Josh Rosenthal called for a break with 10 seconds left.

Nelson looked exhausted as he came out of his corner for round three, and Mir, while tired himself, landed some hard kicks before scoring another takedown. There he landed more hard shots at close range as he tried to improve position. Nelson, still game, wouldn’t allow it as he rose to his feet, but another Mir takedown took even more out of his gas tank. With 1:50 left, the two fighters stood, but it only took Mir 30 seconds for yet another takedown, putting the stamp on a big win.

With the win, Mir improves to 15-5; Nelson falls to 16-6.

BROWNE VS. STRUVE

Unbeaten banger Travis Browne kept his “0” intact with a spectacular first round knockout of highly-touted Stefan Struve in a clash of heavyweight prospects. See post-fight interview

The two giants (Struve 6-11 and Browne 6-7) traded thudding kicks to begin the bout, with a subsequent lockup stalling out and forcing a restart from referee Steve Mazzagatti. After breaking, the kicks kept coming, and in the third minute, Browne added in some punches before getting the bout to the mat. Browne (11-0-1) wasn’t able to do much from the top position, and in a scramble he almost got caught in a submission. But when the bout returned to the standing position, he found his range with a straight right Superman punch down the middle that landed flush and sent Struve (25-5) to the canvas. A follow up series of shots forced Mazzagatti’s hand, giving Browne the victory at 4:11 of the opening frame. His award for KO of the Night was no surprise, and he scored $70K for his trouble.

STORY VS. ALVES

Welterweight up and comer Rick Story moved from prospect to contender in his bout with Thiago Alves, as he outworked and survived some hard incoming fire from the former world title challenger to win a close, but unanimous, decision. See post-fight interview

All three judges saw it 29-28 for Story, who ups his record to 13-3; Alves falls to 23-7.

Story got Alves to the canvas fairly easy to start the bout. Alves stood immediately, but with Story staying locked on to him, he ate some knees to the leg as they grappled along the fence. Alves turned the tables with a quick takedown of his own, allowing him to get back to his feet. Story smothered any standup from the “Pitbull,” and they resumed their lock-up against the fence, prompting a restart from referee Kim Winslow. Story banged out some body punches before pushing his foe to the fence again, and after a bit of a stall, he reeled off some two-fisted combos that caught Alves by surprise. Finally after breaking, the two slugged it out for a bit, drawing a roar as the bell sounded.

A good exchange between the two welterweights opened the round before Story took the fight back to the fence. With 90 seconds gone, he put the Brazilian on his back, but Alves shot back up and scored a takedown of his own. Story didn’t stay there long but he did park himself on the fence until Winslow broke the two. After a quick break away from each other, Story put another takedown on the board, with Alves rising and landing a couple of kicks before time expired.

Alves and Story traded blows to kick off round three, each getting his share of shots in. The inevitable tie up against the fence followed, but when the two would separate, Alves was beginning to get the better of the exchanges as Story marched forward and the two finally went to war in the final minute, tagging each other with flush blows until the end of the bout.

STANN VS. SANTIAGO

On Memorial Day weekend, the most important holiday break on his calendar, United States Marine Corps veteran Brian Stann left his armed forces comrades happy as he dominated returning middleweight contender Jorge Santiago before ending the bout via TKO late in the second round. See post-fight interview

The win was Stann’s third at 185 pounds, and he continues to impress with each outing.

“It means so much to win today,” Stann said. “There are people who aren’t here anymore. They are the true heroes. I am here thanks to a lot of luck and I’m grateful to be fighting on the biggest stage on earth.”

Stann pursued Santiago to start the bout – which earned Fight of the Night at the end of the event – but it was a Santiago right that drew first blood as he raised a knot under Stann’s left eye. The “All-American” didn’t miss a beat marching forward, and he began tagging the Brazilian with hard leg kicks. Santiago responded with a kick to the head, but just missed his target. With 1:50 left, Stann dropped Santiago with a left hook and began working on his opponent with ground strikes in an attempt to finish. Santiago was able to withstand the initial assault and eventually get back to his feet, but the damage had been done, and Santiago looked dazed and tired as he made his way back to his corner.

Santiago recovered well between rounds, using a quick jab to close the distance and lock Stann up against the fence to begin the second frame. Stann powered his way loose and resumed tagging the Brazilian with leg kicks. Santiago tried to mix things up with a spinning back fist and flying knee, but Stann walked right through both, leaving “The Sandman” to regroup and start again. With less than a minute remaining, Stann drew oohs from the crowd for a kick to the midsection, but the big boom was coming as a right hand dropped Santiago to the canvas. A follow-up assault of rights was next, with referee Herb Dean halting the bout at the 4:29 mark.

With the win, Stann ups his record to 11-3; Santiago falls to 23-9.

Watch the full event here: http://www.ufc.tv/ufc/event/rampage-vs-hamill/509

UFC 130 Main Event Results – Jackson Roll; Rampage Decisions Hamill

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – It wasn’t the action-packed war that he wanted to deliver, but former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was dominant in the UFC 130 main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night as he pounded…

LAS VEGAS, May 28 – It wasn’t the action-packed war that he wanted to deliver, but former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was dominant in the UFC 130 main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night as he pounded out a three round unanimous decision victory over Matt Hamill.

Matt Hamill’s tough, I tried to knock him out,” said Jackson, who claimed to have entered the bout with a fractured hand. “I did what I had to do, I scraped out the W.”

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Jackson.

Hamill fired off kicks to the head and legs before shooting for his first takedown, but Jackson pushed him off and fired a flurry in return. Hamill showed no trepidation about standing in the pocket with his hard-hitting foe, which was made easier because Jackson wasn’t being particularly busy outside of a quick uppercut that just missed the mark but still jarred Hamill.  Hamill’s leg kicks kept him on the scoreboard, but whenever he got too aggressive, Jackson would fire off a few shots to keep the Ohio native honest. With 90 seconds left, Jackson began to increase his punch output, and he began adding knees to his arsenal to avoid takedowns. With 30 seconds left, Hamill’s legs looked to be unsteady, and Jackson sensed it, finishing the round strong and bloodying his opponent’s mouth.

Hamill wasn’t the only one showing the scars of battle, as Jackson was treated between rounds for a cut over his right eye. As the second frame began, Jackson stayed busy with his strikes while still not allowing Hamill to take the bout to the mat. In fact, he made it a point to punish his foe every time a takedown came up empty. But as Hamill eased off the gas pedal, so did Jackson, leading to a series of boos from the crowd. With under a minute remaining in the round, Jackson appeared to rock Hamill momentarily, and again he left his foe with plenty to think about between rounds.

A superman punch began the final round for Hamill, but barely produced an eye blink from Jackson, who again peppered his opponent and then rejected a takedown attempt with a knee to the body.  The pace slowed again, as Jackson looked to counter and Hamill’s offense stalled.  As the three minute mark approached, Jackson picked up his work rate briefly, and Hamill gamely fired back, but then the action dipped and brought the boo birds out again. With 20 seconds left, Jackson made a last ditch effort to finish, but it was not to be, and the crowd wasn’t happy about it.

With the win, Jackson ups his record to 32-8; Hamill falls to 11-3.

Watch the full event here: http://www.ufc.tv/ufc/event/rampage-vs-hamill/509

Matt Hamill – From Competitor to Fighter

Duff Holmes has always been one of Matt Hamill’s staunchest defenders, and seeing the two together over the years, you get the impression that Holmes would gladly take on that role even if he wasn’t the manager and trainer of the UFC light heavywei…

Duff Holmes has always been one of Matt Hamill’s staunchest defenders, and seeing the two together over the years, you get the impression that Holmes would gladly take on that role even if he wasn’t the manager and trainer of the UFC light heavyweight standout.

But Hamill was taken aback when Holmes told him that his three round win over Keith Jardine in June of 2010 was when he turned into a fighter. “The Hammer” fired back like you would expect him to, but then Holmes explained.

“Previous to that, I used to say he was a competitor. I’d say that he’d go into the Octagon and compete rather than fight.”

The bloody 15 minute war with “The Dean of Mean” changed that.

“Right after he got poked in the eye, he turned it into a fight and he fought,” said Holmes. “He’s been a fighter ever since.”

Hamill, obviously choosing to agree to disagree with his longtime friend, leaves it at, “To have a three round war with Jardine after the Jon Jones fight was very important.”

The December 2009 bout with the soon to be crowned UFC light heavyweight champion is the one fight Hamill probably wishes he could get back. His split decision defeat against Michael Bisping in 2007 was one of the most controversial in recent history and his only other loss, to Rich Franklin in 2008 came courtesy of a liver kick that probably would have ended any fighter’s night. But his disqualification win over Jones (rendered as such because of an illegal downward elbow) is the haunting one. Admirably, he doesn’t count it as a win in his mind.

“I made a lot of mistakes against Jon Jones and I know he won that fight, no question,” said Hamill. But despite all the positive notices he had built up over the years, the Jones fight smashed a lot of them, leaving him to rebuild – not just the shoulder he injured in the fight – but his reputation.

So how do fighters do that? They fight. And Hamill fought against Jardine, keeping the fight standing much of the way as he and his foe slugged it out. The win was a sweet step on the road to redemption, but there was just one more order of business to take care of, and that was to defeat his coach on The Ultimate Fighter, season three, Tito Ortiz.

Hamill had been in a similar position before against Franklin, and the Ohio native admitted that it was difficult to pull the trigger against his friend. It could have been the same deal the second time around, until some of Ortiz’ pre-fight banter hit a little too close to home for the proud representative of the deaf community.

“I learned my lesson when I lost to Rich Franklin,” said Hamill. “Rich and I were real close. We grew up together in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we were family friends. But facing Tito, I had learned my lesson and I didn’t want it to happen again. In addition, when Tito said something about the deaf community, that we have soft heads and all that stuff, any fighter can make fun of me anytime they want, it just won’t affect me. I’m used to it from when I was a boy, so the words don’t affect me. But the deaf community didn’t understand; they all accepted Tito after the show and said ‘wow, he’s a great coach.’ So when I faced Tito, I got a killer instinct. I was going to do my job and my job is to win the fight. I didn’t want it to happen again like against Rich Franklin.”

Hamill fought a complete fight against the former UFC light heavyweight champion, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision. He had closed the chapter on the first stage of his UFC career by beating his former mentor. Now he wanted to establish himself as a contender.

So he called for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

“I felt Rampage was a good opponent for me stylistically and he’s such a big name and a star in the sport that I felt it would really do a lot for my career,” said Hamill, who got his wish in a fight that will head up Saturday’s UFC 130 card in Las Vegas. Jackson wasn’t pleased with the pairing when it was first announced. Hamill hasn’t let it bother him though.

“I’m absolutely not insulted by it and I don’t blame Rampage,” he said. “He’s been fighting the top guys in the division this whole time, and I know he wanted to fight Rashad (Evans). He’s ranked third or fourth in the world, so I don’t blame him, but I thank Rampage for giving me the opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Hamill’s confidence has been evident in the weeks leading up to the bout, but he’s not brash about it. Instead, he just goes about his business with the knowledge that should he win, his life is about to change.

“I’m starting to climb the ladder,” he said. “But I’m getting better. I’m more of a well-rounded mixed martial artist now and every day I learn something new. I’m ready to go to that next level of competition.”

At 34, he’s likely in his physical prime, making it even more important for him to strike while the iron is hot. He’s not feeling the pressure though, even with the increased media attention that goes along with being a main event fighter on a UFC Pay-Per-View.

“He’s dealing great with it,” said Holmes. “This is just what he does; it’s not like his whole existence. So all the interviews and all the media and fame that comes along with it, he could care less about any of that.”

Holmes is also a great deflector and protector, making sure his charge stays focused on the task at hand without getting too distracted by the extra cameras and interviews. That close bond extends to the entire team, which has retained its core over the years, a rarity in combat sports.

“I think it’s very important for every fighter to have guys around him that he can trust,” said the manager / trainer. “They’re not there for their own reasons, they’re not ‘Yes’ men, and they want the best out of you. And for Matt, it’s even more important because he relies on the communication here, and he’s basically taught us how to communicate with him.”

In the Octagon though, Hamill will be on his own when he takes on Jackson. There, it’s just two men fighting to win and move forward in a crowded weight class. That’s just fine with “The Hammer,” who has even more motivation than usual after his longtime wrestling coach Doug Blubaugh died in a motorcycle accident earlier this month.

So in honor of his coach, he’s picturing the Jackson bout as the next step in a long tournament in which he’s nearing the finals. It’s home stretch time, and he couldn’t be more ready.

“I’m taking it one fight at a time and not looking past Rampage, but I feel like this is my time, and being a wrestling guy, I look at it like I’m in the semifinals of a wrestling bracket,” he said.

"Rampage" Jackson – Fighting For That Moment

Chuck Liddell is retired now. So is Murilo Rua. Ninja’s brother, Shogun, has lost two of his last three. The story’s the same for Wanderlei Silva, who is finally returning in July after more than a year away.But Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one o…

Chuck Liddell is retired now. So is Murilo Rua. Ninja’s brother, Shogun, has lost two of his last three. The story’s the same for Wanderlei Silva, who is finally returning in July after more than a year away.

But Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one of the aforementioned fighters’ most prominent peers, is still trucking along, still winning big fights when he has to (most recently against Lyoto Machida last November) and still a leading man in the title hunt. You could call him the previous era’s last man standing, but don’t be surprised if he won’t.

“Am I (the last man standing),” he asks. “I don’t know how long I’ll be around. (Laughs) I’ve been fighting for a long time, I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and sometimes I don’t feel like I’m as appreciated as I should be. I don’t think I get the props that I deserve. I was the first-ever undisputed champion, the first one to unify the (UFC and PRIDE) titles (against Dan Henderson in 2007), and that’s not mentioned at all and stuff like that. That’s not the main reason why I fight, but at the end of the day it does cross my mind at times.”

It should. Known by many as “Rampage,” the funny guy with the quick quips and practical jokes, the fighter has sometimes gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to appreciating his accomplishments in competition. Since his 2005 PRIDE loss to Shogun Rua, Jackson has won nine of 11 bouts, with the only losses a razor-thin decision to Forrest Griffin in 2008 and a similarly competitive decision against Rashad Evans in 2010 that came after a layoff of more than a year. His victims over that time? Liddell, Machida, Silva, Keith Jardine, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland.

That’s more than enough to hang your hat on, but when you consider that he’s also done all this while being one of MMA’s most visible stars, it adds to the impressive nature of this streak of excellence.

Yet he’s still a work in progress, both in the Octagon and out. Outside, he’s learned how to deal with his celebrity, something that was never an issue when he was fighting in PRIDE and returning home to relative obscurity in the States. But once he signed with the UFC, and then appeared in the Hollywood remake of “The A-Team,” he had to get used to being “Rampage” 24/7/365.

“I’ll just be myself no matter how people view me,” he said. “But you just gotta get used to it, people being all in your business and people wanting to talk to you. Most fans are nice. You’ll just get a few people that make the situation weird every now and then, but most are nice.”

In the Octagon, Jackson has benefitted by having UFC vet Lance Gibson leading the way for his last couple camps. The no nonsense trainer knows what it’s like to be a fighter, and he knows every trick in the book when it comes to the things fighters will say to get out of practice. So while Jackson may hate him now, he’ll love him when his gas tank is full on fight night and when his hand gets raised.

“He brings a lot to the table,” said Jackson of Gibson. “He’s a great coach and he knows his stuff. He’s very mentally tough and mentally strong, and he won’t let you crack. When you want to quit, he’ll push you harder and everybody needs somebody like that, pushing you all the time.”

He’ll need that push to get him ready for the charge of Matt Hamill in the UFC 130 main event this Saturday night. Hamill has a solid chin, stellar wrestling, and everything to gain by pinning a loss on Jackson’s 31-8 pro record. Jackson, on the other hand, wasn’t overjoyed when Hamill’s name was penciled in on his dance card. He has since softened his stance on facing Hamill. What was the turning point?

“When I realized that it’s my job,” he said. “A lot of fans don’t realize that you don’t choose your opponents. A lot of fans assume that I chose to fight Hamill, and some fans can be kinda rough on you. You don’t get to choose who you want to fight. If that was the case, I would have fought Forrest (Griffin) a long time ago.”

Instead, he gets “The Hammer,” but don’t expect a dissection on the Ohio native’s fighting style from Jackson. He’ll leave that up to his coaches.

“I never think about stuff like that,” he said. “I just think about the difficulties I’m gonna have for him. I’m not that type of fighter who thinks about what my opponent’s gonna do to me.”

What is clear though is that Jackson has every intention of making Hamill his first stoppage victim since he avenged two losses to Silva with a single left hook at UFC 92 in 2008. In three fights since, he has been forced to hear the final bell, but his lack of finishes doesn’t come from a lack of trying.

“Every fight I fight, I want to knock people out or finish the fight,” he said. “But one thing that non-fighters don’t understand is that fights are fights; you can’t plan what happens. I’m not gonna go out there and say ‘oh, let me lay and pray;’ I go out there like I want to finish this guy. But it don’t always work out the way you want it to. It’s a fight. I’m going into this fight and I’m gonna try to knock his head off, but if it don’t come I’ll be disappointed, but it won’t make me stop.”

And if you look at his last three decisions, Jackson wasn’t exactly done any favors stylistically. Machida has a notoriously hard style to decipher, Evans’ wrestling can defuse even the most explosive striking attack if he decides to shut you down, and Jardine’s unorthodox attack can drive anyone crazy.

“I feel like the last couple people I’ve been fighting don’t want to fight, and it’s hard to fight a guy who don’t want to fight,” he said. “Jardine was a good fight and I was hoping to knock him out, but he was an awkward guy and that’s the first time I fought when I was overtrained. I just came off that Wanderlei camp, and that was the hardest camp I did in my life, so I’m just glad that I made it through the fight. But since then, it seems like I’ve been fighting guys that don’t want to fight.”

The aggressive Hamill is likely to change that pattern, making this the perfect opportunity for Jackson to let loose as well. That has meant a rigorous camp from Gibson, and daily torture for Jackson. He laughs, but only in a bemused way.

“I forget about how hard camp is. I can’t believe I do this for a living.”

He does though, and few do it better. But for all the work and all the sacrifices, there must be some reason why he still puts himself through this after all these years. So the question is asked, ‘is there still a fun part to this?’

He pauses, then responds.

“Maybe after the fight when you win and you made your coaches and your family proud, and the fans are cheering for you and stuff like that,” said Jackson. “You’re celebrating after the fight and you’ve got a few aches and pains and you feel like you’ve been in a fight, but all your friends are smiling and telling you what you did in the fight; that’s the fun part and the part that you forget about all the time. Then afterward you remember ‘oh yeah, this is why I fight.’ It’s for that moment. When you’re walking back to your locker room after the fight, the fans are yelling your name and trying to give you high fives, that’s the fun part right there.”

And it never gets old?

“That never gets old.”

Official UFC 130 Weigh In Results

UFC 130, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill and the heavyweight battle between Frank Mir and Roy “Big Country” Nelson, airs live on Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand…

UFC 130, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill and the heavyweight battle between Frank Mir and Roy “Big Country” Nelson, airs live on Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Fans can also tune in to Spike TV at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to see live UFC 130 preliminary bouts, and those who “like” the UFC on Facebook can see the rest of the prelim bouts at 6:45 pm ET / 3:45 pm PT*.

MAIN EVENT
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (205) vs. Matt Hamill (205)

PPV
Roy Nelson (260) vs. Frank Mir (260)
Travis Browne (247) vs. Stefan Struve (255)
Jorge Santiago (185) vs. Brian Stann (186)
Rick Story (170) vs. Thiago Alves (170)

SPIKE TV PRELIMS
Demetrious Johnson (135.5) vs. Miguel Angel Torres (135.5)
Tim Boetsch (186) vs. Kendall Grove (185)

ONLINE FIGHTS
Rafaello Oliveira (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Michael McDonald (136)
Cole Escovedo (135) vs. Renan Barao (135)

*The prelims will also stream live on Heavy.com, Versus.com, Univision.com, Rivals.com, Foxsports.com and the websites of USA Today, Miami Herald, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Indianapolis Star, Boston Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Post-Standard of Syracuse, Chicago Sun-Times, Telegraph (UK and AUS) and more

Watch the full event here: http://www.ufc.tv/ufc/event/rampage-vs-hamill/509