Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann not likely for UFC 130
Posted on February 4, 2011, 10:22 PM by Joey SantosusContrary to previous reports, the Middleweight bout between Wanderlei Silva and Brain Stann will not be featured at UFC 130.
The match-up was said to be confirmed on this week's episode of the UFC.com Ultimate Insider show, however a source close to the situation revealed that the fight was never official and that Silva feels he will not be healthy in time to prepare.
Silva originally wanted a shot at Chris Leben following "The Crippler's" impressive submission victory over Yoshihiro Akyama at UFC 116. It was Leben's second victory in just two weeks and because he had stepped in to face Akiyama when an injury had forced Silva himself off of the card, a potential bout between the two seemed to make sense.
However, while both fighters shared a mutual desire to face one another upon "The Axe Murderer's" return, Leben's momentum came to a crashing hault this past January when he was knocked out by Stann in the opening round of their UFC 125 match-up.
With no official opponent named for Stann at this time, it is unclear whether or not the former WEC Champion will still compete on the card.
UFC 130 is set to take place May 28th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be headlined by Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III.
Source: MMAFighting.com | Photo: Las Vegas Sun
Comments
So Brian Stann doesn't deserve W. Silva but he deserves Maia? Maia has the best ground game in the UFC. And everyone seems to have forgotten that Stann beat Steve Cantwell twice. i think Cantwell is a much better striker than W. Silva so i think Stann would have a very good chance against Silva. I mean no disrespect to Wanderlei Silva, he is one of those fighters that helped make the sport what it is today.
bullshit bam. If leben was going to face wand, but leben faced stann and got smashed then why isnt stann up to wand? and wand has been on a decline for years. At some point, the less experienced fighters have to have a chance to take on the more experienced ones but lets be totally honest here. If wand was the wand wrecking machine from pride then would people like stann and leben be calling him out? NOT A CHANCE, but they see their chance to beat a huge name, but so far gone from his prime.
Stann made a statement in his last fight. Imo he "is in the mix" and could fight any middle weight.