UFC 130: Early Predictions for the Main Card

The world is only days away from the biggest card in UFC history.

UFC 129 is going to crush attendance and gate records, feature the retirement fight of an MMA legend and have two title fights to end the event.

So naturally, I'm already thinking a month ahead.

UFC 130 is a better card than the one this weekend overall, with a championship rubber match and three former champions on the card.

So as excited as we all are for GSP-Shields and Aldo-Hominick, remember that two guys who just fought one of the greatest fights in history are fighting less than a month later.

Brain Stann vs Jorge Santiago

An interesting fight in the middleweight division gets the main card started, as former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann battles former Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago.

Since dropping to 185 lbs Brian Stann has looked like a contender with stoppages over Mike Massenzio and Chris Leben. Stann retained a ton of power from his days as a light heavyweight and is a serious problem against an aggressive fighter like Santiago.

Jorge was cut from the UFC following a couple knockout losses back in 2006, and the streak isn't going to end here.

The Pick: Stann by seond-round TKO

Stefan Struve vs Travis Browne

Stefan Struve has been been on a tear since losing his UFC debut to Junior dos Santos, winning five of his next six and earning himself both a knockout and submission of the night.

If there is one knock on Struve is that he is susceptible to being knocked out by guys with heavy hands, and his opponent Travis Browne has eight of his 10 wins by knockout.

Even though the fight is stylistically difficult for Struve, he has shown the ability to survive some tough rounds and I think that's what saves him here, in a fight that mirrors his battle with Christian Morecraft at UFC 117.

The Pick: Struve by second-round KO

Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson

Even though that prefight hype hasn't been as great as a lot of people thought it would, Roy Nelson vs Frank Mir is a fight that fans have been asking for since "Big Country" won The Ultimate Fighter 10.

For years Mir has been regarded as one of the two best heavyweights in terms of jiu jitsu along with Big Nog, but few people realize how good Nelson is on the ground. In fact, Nelson beat Mir in a grappling competition back in 2003. 

Although Nelson has heavy hands and a decent striking game, Mir is far better on the feet and will beat him there.

The Pick: Frank Mir by Unanimous Decision

Rampage Jackson vs Matt Hamill

This is a must-win fight for Rampage.

MMA fans know that Matt Hamill can wrestle with anyone (except Jon Jones), and could grind out a victory over the former champion, but as one of the most popular fighters in the sport, Rampage can't afford to let that happen.

I wrestled, pun intended, with this pick for a while but Rampage should have the takedown defense to force Hamill to stand for a bit and can end it quickly on the feet.

The Pick: Rampage Jackson by third-round KO

Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 3 for the UFC Lightweight Championship

Who isn't excited for this fight?

The heart that Edgar showed in the rematch back in January was incredible, and Maynard proved to be just as game, giving us a fight of the year contender on New Years Day.

As good as Maynard looked in the first round at UFC 125, he was beaten on the feet for the majority of the remaining rounds and Edgar was able to shut down his wrestling game. 

It's hard to believe that a champion is the most underrated fighter in the sport, but Frankie Edgar will get no respect once again and leave with his belt.

The Pick: Frankie Edgar by Unanimous Decision