UFC 130 Fight Card: Main Card Odds and Predictions

UFC 130 is coming up this Saturday, and although it doesn't have a marquee main event, this is still a card that should not be overlooked.

All 10 fights will be broadcast, and five of them will be free. The first three fights on the card will be featured on Facebook, the next two on Spike TV and the final five will be on the PPV.

UFC 130 did lose its original main event, which took away a good deal of luster from what was looking to be a very strong card.

In light of that, Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill was moved up to the main event, and Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story was moved to the main card.

So although many people are overlooking this card, every main card fight has the chance to be a highlight reel knockout, submission or just a damn good fight.

And you may be looking to make some money on that. 

If so, then here are the odds and predictions for the main card of UFC 130.

Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago

To kick off the main card, Brian "The All-American" Stann (10-3) takes on Jorge "Sandman" Santiago (23-8) in his return to the Octagon.

Brian Stann comes back into the cage after putting on an impressive display on New Year's Day, where he handed Chris Leben his second ever stoppage via strikes.

Stann called out Leben, and he wanted to test himself and show he belonged in the upper tier of UFC middleweights.

Jorge Santiago makes his return to the Octagon after a nearly five-year absence. In his last UFC run, he went 1-2, with knockout losses to Chris Leben and Alan Belcher.

Since that time, Santiago has gone on to win the Strikeforce Middleweight Grand Prix in 2007, the Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix in 2008, and win and defend the Sengoku middleweight championship twice.

His last defense of the title (which was also his most recent fight) against Kazuo Misaki, won him the 2010 Fight of the Year from Sherdog and Inside MMA.

Santiago is a very well-rounded fighter, but after the impressive display of striking shown by Stann, and Santiago's tendency to get stopped via strikes (five times) I'm going to put this one down for Stann.

Prediction: Brian Stann via second-round TKO.

Odds: Brian Stann (-135). Jorge Santiago (+115).

Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story

In the second fight of the main card, Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves (18-7) takes on Rick "The Horror" Story (12-3).

Thiago Alves is one of the top welterweights in the world, and he may cut the most weight of any welterweight as well. Alves has shown in the past that he has some serious trouble making weight, as he has not made weight twice, and he once tested positive for banned diuretics.

After he missed weight for his No. 1 contender showdown with Jon Fitch at UFC 117, he begged and pleaded with Dana White for one more chance, and he got it. He won a unanimous decision over John Howard at UFC 124, and has a new dietician who has him all set for the Friday weigh-ins.

Alves is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, but he is mainly a devastating muay-thai wrecking machine, and seven of his 10 UFC wins have come via (T)KO, with the other three being decisions.

Rick Story is a bit different than Alves.

Story has three wins via (T)KO, three wins via submission and six via decision. He is a very, very well-rounded fighter.

Story is currently on a five-fight winning streak, and all five of those fights have been in the UFC. He has one TKO and one submission. The rest are decisions.

In the end, I think that Alves' striking will be too much for Story to handle, and he'll crumple under the pressure.

Prediction: Thiago Alves via third-round TKO.

Odds: Thiago Alves (-200). Rick Story (+170).

Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne

In what may be the largest fight in UFC history, 6'11'', Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve (21-4) takes on 6'7'' Travis Browne (10-0-1).

Stefan Struve is well known to most UFC fans for his outstanding come-from-behind wins against Denis Stojnic and Christian Morecraft, where he took a beating in each fight and was still able to pull out the impressive win.

Struve is the tallest fighter on the UFC roster, and he is one of the most impressive. With his only losses in MMA being to Roy Nelson, Junior dos Santos, the newly crowned Bellator light heavyweight champion Christian M'Pumbu, and a loss in his second career fight via injury, Struve is a top-tier heavyweight fighter with a very well-rounded game.

Travis Browne has only had two UFC fights, and only one of those was a victory. In his last fight, he fought to a unanimous draw with Cheick Kongo after Kongo had a point deducted for grabbing Browne's shorts.

Of Browne's 10 wins, eight of them are via (T)KO and he has a submission and a decision in each of his other two.

Struve is a good striker, which he can thank his reach for, but he also has a nasty ground game, and those long limbs are perfect for ground and pound, sweeps and submissions. Look for Struve to take this one down and finish it there.

Prediction: Stefan Struve via second-round submission.

Odds: Stefan Struve (-145). Travis Browne (+115).

Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson

In the co-main event of the evening, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir (14-5) takes on TUF 10 winner, Roy "Big Country" Nelson (15-5).

Frank Mir, although not the same in recent years, is still a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. Mir holds wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar and Tim Sylvia. 

In his past five fights, he is 3-2, with his losses coming to Brock Lesnar for the undisputed heavyweight championship and to Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight championship.

Mir may not have looked as impressive as he did before his motorcycle accident, but he is still deadly. With some slick jiu-jitsu and some great striking, Mir still has all the capabilities to be a champion again.

Roy Nelson is on the other end of the spectrum, where he is still looking to fight for a championship, and hopefully win one. Nelson is actually two years older than Mir, but Mir has had a more impressive career to this point.

Nelson won Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter when he knocked out Brendan Schaub, and he followed that up with a knockout of Stefan Struve, which was then followed by an absolute drubbing at the hands of Junior dos Santos, which lead to a unanimous decision loss.

Nelson and Mir have faced each other in competition once before, at Grappler's Quest in 2003, but don't put too much into that, as Mir did not even have a gut at that point.

In the end, expect the experience of Mir to prevail over Nelson, and look for Mir to pull out the win.

Prediction: Frank Mir via unanimous decision.

Odds: Frank Mir (-135). Roy Nelson (+115).

Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill

In the main event of the evening, former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (31-8) takes on Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (10-2).

This was originally the co-main event, but after injuries forced Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard off the card, this was promoted to main event.

Rampage comes into this fight after winning a controversial split decision over former light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida. Prior to that, Rampage lost a unanimous decision to another former light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans, in what was a No. 1 contender fight.

Rampage is one of the deadliest strikers in MMA, and he has 14 wins via (T)KO. He also has great wrestling, which allows him to keep fights where he wants them: on the feet.

Matt Hamill is just a bit different. Hamill is an outstanding wrestler, but he has also shown that he has some power in his hands, and shins.

Hamill recorded a highlight reel headkick knockout over Mark Munoz, and has won five of his fights via (T)KO.

This is a fight between a legend of the sport, and an up-and-comer. Look for experience to prevail in this fight, and expect a win from Rampage to put him one step closer to the LHW belt.

Prediction: Rampage Jackson via second-round KO.

Odds: Rampage Jackson (-290). Matt Hamill (+230).