UFC 130 is set for next weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even though we’ve lost our original main event of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III, fight fans still have some interesting matchups to look forward to. Here are a few storylines worth paying attention to as the blows are thrown:
Will New Contenders Emerge?
The future of the UFC depends on the promotion’s ability to create a steady stream of contenders to face its current champions. Without them, the weight classes grow stagnant, and some may say boring. For example, compare the lightweight and welterweight divisions. One has a long list of fighters who could win the title at any moment, while the other has been dominated by one man for so long that fans have begun to grow restless; it doesn’t matter if they have valid reasons or not.
UFC 130 has a few matchups that could create new contenders if those individuals can pull off strong victories. Rick Story, Brian Stann and Roy Nelson are all on the cusp of being considered true contenders. On top of that, each comes with a background story that the media can latch onto and run with. Stann is an almost automatic star because of his past military service. Nelson became a cult favorite due to his physique, and gained national exposure due to his time on the Ultimate Fighter, which included both a victory over Kimbo Slice in the show’s highest-rated episode, and a knockout win over Brendan Schaub on the Finale. Story, though lacking the military and TUF pedigree, is gaining steam with his five-fight win streak, and has personality in his own right. Each one of these fighters faces a serious challenge in the form of a former champion or number-one contender. However, each has the ability to pull out a victory and cement himself as a title contender at the end of the year, or in early 2012.
Does Anyone Remember Quinton Jackson as the Champion?
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a tough competitor to figure out. He burst onto the UFC scene in 2007 with a knockout of Chuck Liddell in his second fight with the promotion, effectively giving his career a shot in the arm, while signaling the beginning of the end for to that of the Iceman. He’s the last fighter to “soundly” defend the UFC light heavyweight title, with his defeat of PRIDE light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson in their title unification bout. However, beginning with his controversial loss to Forrest Griffin, “Rampage” has seen his ups and downs. His 3-2 record over the last five fights has many fans questioning whether he’d rather make subpar action movies than get in the Octagon.
Next weekend he has a dangerous test against the always-improving Matt Hamill. Hamill is coming off a dominant victory over Tito Ortiz, and he is looking to prove his naysayers wrong with a win, so that he can move up the UFC light heavyweight ladder. “Rampage” must come in on at the top of his game, because if he doesn’t, we may witness the beginning of the end of his time as a dominant force in the UFC.
Will “Da Spyder” Face UFC Extermination?
Kendall Grove has all the tools to be a successful mixed martial artist. However, he hasn’t been able to put it all together in the Octagon. After winning the Ultimate Fighter his career has hit speed bump after speed bump. He has been defeated by a number of fighters who have gone on to become contenders to the 185-pound crown, but he has not done so himself. His 7-5 UFC record begs for more, especially of a TUF season winner. At UFC 130 he faces a very game opponent in Tim Boetsch, and it would not be surprising if after the conclusion of this fight, we hear the news of Grove’s release the following week.
