JORGE SANTIAGO (23-8-0) vs. BRIAN STANN (10-3-0)

Mixed Martial Arts – UFC 130
Middleweight (185 lbs) Bout
Saturday, May 28, 9:00 p.m. EDT
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Line: STANN -130, SANTIAGO Even

UFC middleweights Jorge Santiago and Brian Stann will clash as part of the UFC 130 Main Card, this Saturday, May 28 at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Odds.

Santiago has been very successful over the past four years, going 11-1 and picking up tournament wins in Strikeforce and Sengoku. He was also the reigning Sengoku middleweight champion when the company closed its doors earlier this year. This is not Santiago’s first venture into the UFC, as back in 2006 Santiago made his debut at Ultimate Fight Night 5, finishing Justin Levens in just over two minutes by knockout. At Ultimate Fight Night 6, Santiago was knocked out by UFC middleweight Chris Leben early in the second round after stunning Leben in the first, and taking the round on the scorecards. Next up was Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 7, and the story line was similar to the Belcher fight. Santiago took an early round, but was eventually knocked out by a head kick midway through the third. With a 1-2 UFC record, he was released from the company. Scores.

Santiago gets a chance for instant credibility when he faces up-and-comer Brian Stann. Stann, the former U.S. Marine Captain whose military actions have been noted by George W. Bush, is coming off of a huge KO victory over Leben. While many big names were being thrown around as possible next opponents for Stann (one of which was Wanderlei Silva), UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and UFC President Dana White chose an unlikely opponent to face Stann at UFC 130. Some fans and fighters feel that with this being Santiago’s first fight in the UFC in almost five years, Stann should have been given the opportunity to face a better-known opponent from the UFC’s crème de la crème middleweight fighters. Las Vegas odds.

With Santiago, being the more experienced fighter and finishing all but one of his last 12 fights, and Stann, being hungry and coming off of a KO win, this bout has Fight of the Night or Knockout of the Night written all over it; it could even be a potential Submission of the Night candidate. I’m taking SANTIAGO at Even money to pull off the upset and make a name for himself.