UFC 130

Lore & Background

The event was originally scheduled to feature a third meeting between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship, but injuries to both forced the fight off the card. Thiago Silva was rumored to be forced from his bout with Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, but Silva denied injury; instead, Silva may have failed a pre-fight drug screening at UFC 125, and Rampage faced Matt Hamill. Former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago returned to face Brian Stann. Brad Pickett withdrew from his bout with Miguel Torres, replaced by Demetrious Johnson; Renan Barão then faced Cole Escovedo. Norifumi Yamamoto was forced out of his bout with Chris Cariaso, replaced by Michael McDonald. Cody McKenzie was injured and replaced by Gleison Tibau; Bart Palaszewski was also injured and replaced by Rafaello Oliveira.

In Their Own Story

The MGM Grand Garden Arena hummed with a low, electric buzz as the cage doors sealed shut. Machida bounced on the balls of his feet, hands high, eyes locked on Cormier's jaw—a predator sizing up a bull. Cormier, by contrast, barely moved. He breathed. He watched. He let the crowd's roar wash over him like white noise. Round one belonged to the Dragon. A three-punch combination snapped Cormier's head back; the arena erupted. But Cormier's eyes never left Machida's hips. *There*, he thought. *He overcommits on the left hook.* Round two, the left hook came. Cormier slipped inside, buried a short right, and took the back. Machida scrambled, thrashed, and the bell saved him. By round four the tempo had inverted. Machida's legs were heavy; Cormier's rhythm was a metronome. A clean overhand. A controlled takedown. A methodical ground-and-pound that never panicked, never rushed. The judges' cards, when they came, were a foregone conclusion. Cormier raised both arms, the belt draped over his shoulder, and the Las Vegas crowd—still, then suddenly, thunderous—understood that the light heavyweight throne had changed hands not with a knockout, but with five rounds of quiet, relentless correctness.

Reader's Guide

The main card featured Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill, Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson, Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve, Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves, and Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago. Preliminary fights aired on Spike TV and streamed on Facebook.

Did You Know?

• Fight of the Night was Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago, each receiving a $70,000 bonus.
• Knockout of the Night went to Travis Browne, who earned a $70,000 bonus.
• Submission of the Night was awarded to Gleison Tibau, who also received $70,000.
• Quinton Jackson earned $250,000 with no win bonus; Matt Hamill earned $32,000.