UFC 130 Preview and Predictions When rivals Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard met for the first time on April 2nd, 2008, they gave a pretty damn good reason as to why their rematch bout on New Year’s Day was deemed as a walk-out bout more so than an anticipated championship fight. In an ironic twist, aforementioned perception altered in a drastic manner following the cancellation of their rubber- match previously slated for this weekend’s PPV. Defying the stereotype of wrestlers producing boring grapple- fests when pitted against one another, Edgar and Maynard exceeded all expectations creating drama from start to finish of their five round championship affair which resulted in a draw. Not to anyone’s surprise, the announcement of cancellation (due to injuries on both fighters) was a huge buzz-kill to fans waiting to see these guys lock horns once more. But no worries, credit to four entertaining combatants, two of which whom were former world champions; we still have a darn good show on tap. Headlining the event this Saturday night at Las Vegas, NV’s MGM Grand, charismatic former light heavyweight champion and part time Hollywood star, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (31-8) re- enters the Octagon, taking on former cast of the Ultimate Fighter, Matt Hamil (10-2) in a three round light heavyweight tussle. Jackson, who’s coming off a controversial split decision win over Lyoto Machida back in November, is in dire need of an impressive victory against Hamil, who’s aiming to capitalize on his reclaimed momentum after denying long time veteran and former light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz in last fight. Both fighters will walk down the aisle with deep amateur wrestling background, but when the bell rings, expect fistic fireworks as both guys have more than what it takes to knock each other out. Jackson holds notable wins over Chuck Lidell (2x), Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson and Ricardo Arona. The Memphis native also carries devastating fire power in both hands that once catapulted his stature as one of the best fighters in the game. Hamil, who’s no slouch when it comes to striking, has shown capability of hurting top opposition, demonstrated against the likes of Keith Jardine, Tito Ortiz, and Michael Bisping. In addition, Hamil’s tremendous heart and determination make up for his shortcomings in terms of talent and experience compared to his foe. However, despite Jackson’s gradual decline, the talent and experience factors play in, which should be sufficient to take the ‘W’. Jackson wins via unanimous decision. In a bout which could be a headliner on its own, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (14-5) and former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson (15-5) will duke it out in pursuant of a future title shot. Mir, whose knee derailed the come-backing Crocop, should have his mind set on regaining his championship belt. Having said that, the Las Vegas native needs to be very alert against the superficially out of shape Nelson, whose overhand right could just about end the night of any other top heavyweight on a given shot. The two BJJ specialists have met once before, but on the grappling met, which was won by Nelson on points. Nelson, who’s looking to bounce back after a gutsy yet losing effort against top contender Junior Dos Santos, needs to bring his ‘A’ game against the experienced Mir in hopes for his quest at a title shot. This probably is the most difficult fight of the night to predict, but it’s Mir who appears to on the downside while Nelson, despite his physique just may be the fresher of the two. Mir’s vulnerability in taking punches clearly showed in his crushing defeat at the hands of Shane Carwin and Nelson should initiatives early to time his punches and land so with success. Expect a big knockout from Big Country. The comeback of former welterweight title challenger, Thiago Alves (18-7) of American Top Team, continues against Rick Story, who recently downed NCAA wrestling legend Johny Hendricks in his last outing. Alvarez, after consecutive failed attempts (including one title shot) against elite welterweights Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch, rebounded well in easily outpointing the dangerous John Howard in UFC 124. Story, who boasts a record of 15-3, is as well rounded as it gets with his collegiate wrestling pedigree and his much improved standup game. Alves, a versatile guy in his own right, brings size, and superior striking with his vicious Muay Thai kicks and underrated takedown defense. The logical favorite here is Alves, given his world class wins over Chris Lytle, Marcus Davis, Josh Koschek and Matt Hughes to overwhelm Story with powerful leg kicks and punches. Other televised bouts include Stefan Struve of Netherlands taking on Travis Browne in a heavyweight title and rising middleweight Brian Stann will look to continue his streak against Brazil’s Jorge Santiago. Spike TV will televise preliminary matchups which will showcase Miguel Torres and Kendall Grove in separate bouts..