UFC 130 Stock Report

With the third bout of the Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard rivarly scratched due to injury, UFC 130’s movers and shakers were largely on the undercard.

Rick Story scored a career-boosting decision over former title challenger Thiago Alves, and unbeaten heavyweight bruiser Travis Browne scored a spectacular knockout of Stefan Struve. It’s all the thrills, chills and spills in one: the UFC 130 Stock Report is here.

Stock Up

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: I’m tempted to give Jackson a “hold” rating after his largely tepid three-round showing, where “Rampage” plugged along and outworked the hapless Matt Hamill.

However, when Jackson mentioned he’d brought a fractured hand into the bout, it suddenly made sense why he was fighting with uncharacteristic reserve (one can only imagine the blowback from Jackson dropping off the card after the Edgar-Maynard bout getting scratched).

In the context of a performance, Jackson essentially showed he’s a level above Hamill, who wasn’t able to be effective enough standing to close the distance and execute effective takedown attempts. In past performances against Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, Jackson was defeated on gameplans backfiring; on pure physical assets, guile and resilience, he’s a handful for anyone.

With two healthy hands, he’ll be a knockout away from securing a title shot. In a nebulous light heavyweight division, Jon Jones is apparently on hold, with Rashad and Phil Davis likely squaring off in an elimination match. A big win by Jackson could have inserted him into the discussion, which didn’t happen here. But it was a showing typical of the veteran -- Jackson’s one of the most durable guys in the game.

Rick Story: With a five-fight win streak against increasingly good competition, Story faced a big jump up against Alves, a former title challenger. Promising to push the pace and wear Alves down, Story did just that, showcasing a cast-iron chin and big-time resilience in the process.

After sweeping the first two rounds, two things became apparent. Story is one of the division’s best takedown artists, and his ability to trade in the pocket is exceptional, which makes his wrestling all the more effective. In a rocky third round, he absorbed some big shots from the game but worn-down Alves, revealing the gameness you like to see in a rising contender.

At just 25, Story jumped up a couple notches in the welterweight pecking order, perhaps into the top five. Top contenders like Jon Fitch, Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck have all been handily beaten by champ Georges St. Pierre in title shots, with rematches a hard sell.

A win over any of that trio would likely make Story a marketable challenger; along with fellow young guns Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Condit, it’ll be interesting to see how the UFC lines up its new blood with the veteran guard to produce challengers for the dominant champ (Story decisioned Ellenberger before both fought in the UFC, and each has improved considerably since then).

Throw the winner of Anthony Johnson-Nate Marquardt into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a party. Story’s tenacity, chin and willingness to trade standing make him a live wire against any other contender in the division.

Travis Browne: Whomever Browne fights next, it’ll certainly be easier to find sparring partners. Facing the 6’11 Struve, Browne scored a huge win with a bodacious knockout off a Superman punch, sending Struve crumbling to the canvas, as though he’d been clotheslined.

Heavyweights, in lieu of reliable conditioning and the sharp technique of the little guys, can deliver red-meat knockouts, and this was precisely why the big guys can deliver. At 6-foot-seven-inches and 250 pounds, Browne has considerable size, menace, and a nice boost to his marketability with this win.