UFC 130 Preview: Highlight Videos of the Main Card Fighters

Today the realization that UFC 130 has lost its extremely exciting and much anticipated main event has probably began to sunk in. No one would have thought that a third fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and UFC No. 1 Lightweight Cont…

Today the realization that UFC 130 has lost its extremely exciting and much anticipated main event has probably began to sunk in. No one would have thought that a third fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and UFC No. 1 Lightweight Contender Gray Maynard would spark so much interest.

Yet that is exactly what happened in the early hours of January 2, not too long after Edgar and Maynard put on a thrilling back and forth affair that encompassed the entire 25 minutes allotted to them for their main event matchup. Once the judges’ scorecards were read and a draw was determined, UFC President Dana White made the decision within an hour or two to have Maynard and Edgar square off one more time.

With Edgar-Maynard leading the way, the main card was shaping up pretty nicely. Rampage Jackson was set to face Thiago Silva, but Silva was suspended and Matt Hamill stepped up to face the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Two heavyweights with backgrounds in both Las Vegas and grappling will meet up as Roy Nelson fights former UFC heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.

And so on and so forth, the wheels keep spinning. With just under three weeks and having both Maynard & Edgar injured, the UFC was forced to scrap the fight altogether and bump the Hamill-Rampage fight to the main-event slot.

So that leaves me with the task of trying to drum up some serious interest in the remaining bouts on the main pay-per-view portion of the card. Let’s take a look at some highlight videos and try and get the blood flowing in anticipation of these fights.

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Brian Stann on Facing Santiago Instead of Silva: ‘I Got a Better Fight’

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsBrian Stann said he wanted to fight Wanderlei Silva after his win over Chris Leben at UFC 125.

The UFC liked that idea and booked the fight for UFC 130 in May.

One problem: Silva didn’t want to take the fight…

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Brian Stann said he wanted to fight Wanderlei Silva after his win over Chris Leben at UFC 125.

The UFC liked that idea and booked the fight for UFC 130 in May.

One problem: Silva didn’t want to take the fight.

Whether it was because Silva had still not healed up from knee surgery or didn’t want to fight Stann because, as he tweeted, “I respect so much … army guys,” remains unclear. What we do know is Stann (10-3) is now fighting Jorge Santiago (23-8) at UFC 130, while Silva got his original wish of fighting Leben at UFC 132.

“I buy his reason because I don’t see Wanderlei ever having to lie to anybody about anything,” Stann said when asked on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour if he believed Silva didn’t want to fight simply because he didn’t want to get booed. “He’s got nothing to prove for the rest of his life, as far as I’m concerned, especially in this sport.

Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago Official for UFC 130

Filed under: UFC, NewsAfter a few intense weeks of speculation, Jorge Santiago is officially into the UFC and signed up for a match with Brian Stann, the UFC has confirmed.

The matchup between the pair will take place at UFC 130 on May 28.

Stann had …

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Brian StannAfter a few intense weeks of speculation, Jorge Santiago is officially into the UFC and signed up for a match with Brian Stann, the UFC has confirmed.

The matchup between the pair will take place at UFC 130 on May 28.

Stann had been originally expected to face Wanderlei Silva until Silva informed the promotion he wouldn’t be ready by the May date. That left the door open for Santiago, who was the reigning Sengoku middleweight champion when he asked for and received his release to pursue opportunities in the U.S.

Jorge Santiago Confirms UFC Talks, But Says No Deal Is Official Yet

Filed under: UFC, NewsEAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Free agent Jorge Santiago on Saturday night refuted reports that he has signed a contract with the UFC.

Santiago told MMA Fighting that he had not yet signed a contract with any promotion, but that he hoped…

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Free agent Jorge Santiago on Saturday night refuted reports that he has signed a contract with the UFC.

Santiago told MMA Fighting that he had not yet signed a contract with any promotion, but that he hoped to finalize a deal very soon. Santiago did confirm ongoing talks with the UFC.

Free Agent Jorge Santiago Looking to Sign With Strikeforce or UFC

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NEW YORK — MMA Fighting caught up with middleweight Jorge Santiago on Wednesday to talk about his decision to leave Sengoku, when he expects to fight again and which organization he would like to fight for.

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NEW YORK — MMA Fighting caught up with middleweight Jorge Santiago on Wednesday to talk about his decision to leave Sengoku, when he expects to fight again and which organization he would like to fight for.

Jorge Santiago Released by Sengoku

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Sengoku, NewsSengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago has been granted his release by the organization, MMA Fighting has learned from sources close to the promotion.

Santiago’s manager Malki Kawa of Authentic Sport…

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Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago has been granted his release by the organization, MMA Fighting has learned from sources close to the promotion.

Santiago’s manager Malki Kawa of Authentic Sports Management wouldn’t confirm or deny that Santiago is now a free agent when reached for comment, but additional sources say Santiago is looking to sign imminently with a major North American promotion.