While the main card for May's UFC 130 event has been a bit uncertain as of late, the promotion is starting to firm up the plans.
UFC executives today announced a pair of previously reported contests for UFC 130, as Matt Hamill meets Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Thiago Alves faces Rick Story.
Featuring a lightweight title rematch between champ Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, UFC 130 takes place May 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Jackson (31-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) had been expected to face Thiago Silva at the event, but the Brazilian's status became an issue when the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed the fighter's UFC 125 drug screen was still under investigation. While the NSAC has yet to file a formal complaint against Silva, the promotion has chosen to err on the side of caution.
Hamill (10-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) enters the matchup on a five-fight win streak, albeit a bit of a dubious run with the inclusion of a disqualification victory over Jon Jones in December 2009. Nevertheless, "The Hammer" also counts wins over Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Mark Munoz and Reese Andy during the run.
Meanwhile, Jackson is 3-1 in his past four bouts with wins over Lyoto Machida, Jardine and Wanderlei Silva and a lone decision loss to Rashad Evans.
Alves (18-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) enters the fight on the strength of a unanimous decision win over John Howard at UFC 124. The victory was a much-needed result for the Brazilian striker who had struggled in back-to-back losses to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch.
Meanwhile, Story (12-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) looks to step up to the upper echelon of the 170-pound division after racking up five consecutive wins over the likes of Johny Hendricks, Dustin Hazalett, Nick Osipczak, Jesse Lennox and Brian Foster. Including his pre-UFC efforts, Story has earned victories in 11 of his past 12 outings.
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