Hamill will have the biggest fight of his career.
Matt “The Hammer” Hamill has officially stepped into Thiago Silva’s spot at UFC 130 against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Silva was pulled from the card after issues with his UFC 125 drug test. In recent days, speculation had been rampant claiming that Rashad Evans would face Jackson, but on Friday, the UFC made it official with Hamill.
Hamill, a season 3 contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, has won 5 fights in a row since losing to Rich Franklin at UFC 88. He holds the only win over Light Heavyweight Title contender, Jon Jones, although, it was by disqualification. Hamill, 10 – 2, 9 – 2 UFC, has been a surprise to many analysts since coming off TUF. He controlled Tito Ortiz for a unanimous decision victory, knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick and has looked impressive throughout his entire career.
Rampage (31 – 8 , 6 – 2 UFC) who turned down a fight at 129 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title, will step into the Octagon looking to win his second consecutive fight. He previously defeated Lyoto Machida by split decision at UFC 123. Should Rampage defeat the wrestler, Hamill, he might set himself up for a possible title fight. It remains to be seen whether Evans will still be the #1 contender for the title, after being forced out of his match due to a knee injury. Could we see Jackson – Evans 2? It would certainly be another blockbuster hit for the UFC.
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