While it may not be the most hyped battle on UFC 130: Jackson vs. Hamill, the most intriguing bout on the main card certainly could be Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago.
It will be interesting to see how Santiago performs in his first fight inside of the Octagon in five years. The former Senkogu champion has been on a tear since 2007, winning 11 of his last 12, and leaving a trail of brutal knockouts in his wake. While Stann is no slouch, the intrigue in this fight exists in finding out if Santiago if for real or has been living as a big fish in a small pond. If it is the former, UFC fans will quickly come to love the Brazilian.
Interesting to note, during the press conference Stann remarked that Jorge Santiago was not only a tougher fight than Wanderlei Silva -- the middleweight's intended opponent who rejected the bout -- but also that a victory over the Senkogu veteran would be better for Stann's career than one over the ‘Axe Murderer'. While the first portion of that statement may possibly be true -- though Silva certainly remains an incredibly dangerous opponent -- the second claim may fall more on the side of wishful thinking for the former Marine. Name recognition is a big deal in a organization as popular as the UFC. A victory against a legend such as Silva carries much heavier influence to the average fan than one against a relatively unfamiliar name such as a Santiago, who last entered the Octagon in 2006.
Press conference footage courtesy of MMA Weekly:
Jorge Santiago: