Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 130

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Perhaps the best thing we can say about UFC 130 is that it's over. It started out as the event that would finally put the Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard saga to rest, and it ended up with "Rampage" Jackson in a main event bout that even he wasn't terribly excited about.

But now that the dust has settled and the Octagon has been packed away one more time, let's look back over Saturday night's action to see whose stock soared and whose plummeted into the basement of the MGM Grand.

In the wake of UFC 130, here are your biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Brian Stann
Sure, it makes for a great storyline to see the former Marine beat somebody up on Memorial Day weekend, but forget that for a minute. Stann took on the Sengoku middleweight champ in a fight that was supposed to be a serious test of his skills, and he practically breezed through it with the perfect mix of poise and aggression. He didn't lose his cool when he had Santiago hurt early. He didn't lay back too much and let good opportunities slip by. He did exactly what he needed to do, and he got perhaps the biggest win of his career. He also pocketed a Fight of the Night bonus, which is a nice way of reminding everyone that you were one of the few bright spots on an otherwise forgettable fight card. Plus, $70,000 buys a lot of hot dogs and apple pie.

Biggest Loser: Roy Nelson
There's no questioning his toughness or his ability to take a shot. But his cardio? That's a different story. You never want to end a round by immediately doubling over and putting your hands on your knees like an out-of-shape businessman who was forced to take the stairs for the first time in ten years. Let's just say it sends the wrong message. Nelson got overpowered and outworked by Frank Mir, but the worst part is that by the end he just seemed grateful to get out of there and go home. We've seen him go the distance before without looking like he needed to have a defibrillator handy in his corner, so I'm not sure what accounts for this poor showing. Whatever it is, he'd better figure it out quick. The UFC seems less inclined to give Nelson the benefit of the doubt that it has extended to others.

Least Compelling Case for a Title Shot: "Rampage" Jackson
The hard part about fighting a guy who the current champ already demolished is that it provides an unavoidable counter-example that your performance will be measured against. Everyone will recall that Jon Jones straight-up assaulted Hamill, while Jackson carried him the distance. Not that the fight was close, mind you. Jackson stuffed all Hamill's takedowns and put some leather on his face whenever he felt like it. Trouble is, he didn't feel like it quite enough down the stretch. He'd explode with a combo, wait to see if Hamill was still standing, then catch his breath before trying it again. It's a competent showing, sure, but not the kind that screams out for a shot at the belt. Jackson is undoubtedly one of the best light heavyweights around, but that means people are going to expect more out of him than what he showed on Saturday night. Whether he has any interest in giving it to them remains to be seen.

Most Impressive in Defeat: Miguel Torres
If nothing else, Torres proved once and for all that you just can't win a decision off your back in MMA. If it was at all possible, he would have done it on Saturday night with his many, varied attempts at a finish against an opponent who was content to hold on and maintain top position. You could argue that a takedown is an effective way of controlling the fight and dictating the action, so Demetrious Johnson won it fair and square - and you'd probably be right. At the same time, it was Torres doing most of the work to actually end the fight and/or make something interesting happen. It didn't get him the victory, but it does get him a tip of the cap, for whatever that's worth.

Least Impressive in Victory: Frank Mir
We know "Big Country" is tough to put away. The Junior dos Santos fight proved that much. But it never looks good when you have an opponent who is almost too exhausted to stand and you let him hang around for the full three rounds with his tongue practically hanging out of his mouth. At times it seems like Mir takes an unfair amount of criticism, particularly from Dana White. But then you stop and ask yourself, even after two straight wins over two name heavyweights, would I really want to see Mir anywhere near a title fight? Not unless he bought a ticket.

Most Surprising: Rick Story
With a decision win over Thiago Alves in the UFC, Story joins a very exclusive club with some strict membership requirements. He did it with a game plan that played brilliantly to his own strengths while taking Alves' mostly out of the equation, and he also proved that he can take a punch (or a knee) and keep right on coming. Alves is by far the best fighter Story has ever beaten, and he did it in a fight that really wasn't even close on the scorecards. That's six in a row for the young welterweight. He keeps this up, and things will get serious in his career very quickly.

Most Memorable: Travis Browne's KO
Whenever the 6'11" Struve gets knocked out it always makes for instant highlight reel material. Like a building being imploded, his collapse to the mat looks so awkward and takes so long that it makes a lasting impression on everyone who sees it. That's bad news for Struve, but great news for Browne, who put himself on the map with a perfectly timed Superman punch. Even if he never does anything else with his MMA career, that knockout will live on in highlight packages for years. It should also instantly erase the bitter memory of Browne's unimpressive draw with Cheick Kongo at UFC 120. Nothing like a crushing knockout to resurrect your reputation. Now let's see what he can do with it.

Least Likely to Remain Employed: Kendall Grove
The decision loss to Boetsch marked his third defeat in four attempts. What's worse, he was never really in the fight. It was takedown, top control, scramble to the feet, then rinse and repeat all night long. By the third round, everyone knew what Boetsch was going to do, yet Grove couldn't even come close to stopping it. It made for a pretty boring fight, which didn't do Boetsch any favors, but the only thing worse than winning a fight in that fashion is losing one the same way. Grove is now 7-6 in his UFC career. Most of the fighters he beat recently were later cut from the UFC, which tells you something. He's been hovering over the chopping block for a while now. My guess is the ax is about to come down.

 

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WSBK: Yoshimura & Waters at Miller for Wildcard Ride

After a wildcard entry at the season opener on Phillip Island, Josh Waters will again ride a Yoshimura Suzuki in the World Superbike series, with the Australian and team entering this weekend’s round at Miller Motorsports Park . Though the entry had long been announced, as A&R reported back in early March, there was some question after last season’s lack of racing that the team would actually make it to America. In fact, the Japanese team is ...

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Senator or fighter? Stann sticks with the Octagon for now

Give Brian Stann credit, the guy doesn't need to be fighting in a cage. At age 30, Stann could pretty much choose any profession and be successful. As we witnessed today during the UFC 130 press conference, he'd be a great politician .

"I've been given an amazing opportunity by the UFC. I really make it a point to enjoy every minute I'm in that Octagon because in the blink of an eye that could be taken from any one of us. How many people get the opportunity to be a professional athlete, have an entire arena screaming at you for moment in time? I mean, we're gods in there for 15 minutes," Stann said. "That's gonna pass us by. I savor the opportunity and I'm just very lucky to be fighting a champion like Jorge [Santiago] on Memorial Day."

Before each fight, Stann's military background (Naval Academy grad and a Marine, who served in Iraq and was awarded the Silver Star in 2006) makes for a tremendous story, or does it?

At the presser today, a media member asked if Stann was tired of talking about his heroic history in the military. Most people might have popped off, but not Stann. He took it in stride.

"It's never easy to talk about because it always feels like I'm bragging about my military history and that's not my intention. I'm sure some of the hardcore fans get sick of hearing about it but I'm not the one asking the questions. I think this being Memorial Day that was obvious this was going to happen. I'm sorry if people are getting sick of hearing about it," said Stann.

Sorry? For what? There's no need for Stann to apologize. There's new viewers and fans, at and around each UFC event. Why not keep telling the story? The work he's doing as the executive director of Hire Heroes is pretty incredible.

When it came time to talk about the fight against Santiago, he paid the Brazilian nothing but respect. In doing so, he actually took a mild shot at his original opponent Wanderlei Silva.

"When you get to legend status like Wanderlei Silva, some fights pique your interest and some fights don't," Stann said. "In all honesty, let's face it, I got a tougher opponent, who's better for my career."

Many fans may argue that point. Silva is still a huge name and win by Stann would've moved him towards a fight with a top five opponent at middleweight. Stann pointed out that Santiago is a champion, who's 11-1 over the last four years. Stann has won two straight and 4-of-5. That loss came at 205 against fast-rising prospect Phil Davis.

You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports

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Watch UFC 130 prelims right here at Cagewriter

Do you want to watch Rafaello Oliveira vs. Gleison Tibau, Michael McDonald vs. Chris Cariaso, and Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo for free? Of course you do.

Good news. You can catch the first three fights from UFC 130 right here.

The first bouts start at 6:45 p.m. ET. Check them out here, followed by Tim Boetsch vs. Kendall Grove and Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson on Spike before the main card on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET.

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If his kids stay out of trouble, ‘Rampage’ may retire at 35

Quinton Jackson doesn't want to be like Roy Jones Jr. and countless other boxers who fight because they have to financially. The former UFC light heavyweight champ always targeted 35 years old as the time to walk away. Jackson, 32, still believes that, but there are some uncontrollable factors that could change the plan.

"I have kids to look out for. I want to put some of my kids through college. I know some of my kids ... I'm gonna need lawyers fees for them," joked Jackson. "Y'all laughing but I know this!"

Jackson was in a good mood as he spoke during Wednesday's final press conference for UFC 130. In spite of the talk that he's not motivated for this fight, he seems to have a new outlook on his fighting career. Jackson has benefited greatly from being able to earn a healthy living.

"My parents were real poor and I want my mom to drive a nice car and have a nice house, and I want my dad to have the same. That's the thing that drives me to keep fighting so I can afford to keep doing those things," said Jackson.

Rampage is starting to realize he can lengthen his career by cleaning things up outside the cage. That could mean he fights past 35.

"When I used to fight in PRIDE, I was a single parent and I used to eat fast food all the time. I used have to cut 15 pounds every time before a fight. I really got sick of that over the years," Jackson said. "I'm sick and tired of that lifestyle, being real heavy."

Jackson knows it cost him a title shot earlier this year.

"I really regret getting real heavy after my November fight because I couldn't fight [Mauricio] "Shogun" [Rua] after Rashad [Evans] got injured. It was like a kick in the ass," said Jackson.

During Wednesday's presser, Jackson looked visibly thinner than before previous fights.

"I was really excited about getting in shape for this fight. When you look at yourself in the mirror and you're disgusted with yourself, and you're a professional athlete, that's bad," said Jackson.

Jackson faces Matt Hamill in the main event of UFC 130 on Saturday.

You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports

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Brian Stann Explains His Emotional Celebration at UFC 130

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Brian StannLAS VEGAS -- UFC middleweight Brian Stann says why he was so overcome with his emotions after his victory against Jorge Santiago at UFC 130, his true heroes, how he got past Santiago and when he broke his thumb on Saturday night.

Check out the exclusive interview below.

 

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Ryan Couture video: Next gen Couture tries to build on family legacy

Ryan Couture is carrying the torch for his family now. The 28-year-old son of legendary Randy Couture is the only family member actively fighting. His father lost some teeth and his final fight at UFC 129. Couture, the former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champ, called it quits and has moved on to a career in movies.

RawVegas.tv tracked down Ryan to check on how he's doing in preparation for his third pro fight against Matt Ricehouse (4-0) at Strikeforce Challengers 16 in Kent, Wa.

Couture doesn't have a dominant skill like his father did, but because he started training in all aspects of MMA, he may actually be the more well-rounded fighter. There's a good chance he never reaches the heights his father did, but he's already off to an impressive start considering he only began working towards an MMA career in 2007.

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