Thiago Silva Out, Matt Hamill In vs. "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 130

Matt Hamill will replace Thiago Silva and face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 130 in Las Vegas.

Silva is awaiting the results of an investigation from the Nevada State Athletic Commission surrounding one of his UFC 125 drug tests. While no formal complaint has been filed, the UFC looks to be airing on the side of caution.

Hamill (10-2, 9-2 UFC) is riding a five-fight win streak, although one of those wins was due to a Jon Jones disqualification. Most recently, Hamill defeated Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision at UFC 121 last October.

Jackson (31-8, 6-2 UFC) is coming off of a close split-decision victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 last November. It was revealed that Jackson was offered a championship bout against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128, but he did not feel that he would have adequate time to prepare.

Hamill last three fights:

Win (Unanimous Decision) Tito Ortiz - UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez (10/23/2010)

Win (Majority Decision) Keith Jardine - Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale (06/19/2010)

Win (DQ - Illegal Elbows) Jon Jones - Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale (12/05/2009)

Jackson last three fights:

Win (Split Decision) Lyoto Machida - UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida (11/20/2010)

Loss (Unanimous Decision) Rashad Evans - UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans (05/29/2010)

Win (Unanimous Decision) Keith Jardine - UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine (03/07/2009)

Props: MMAJunkie.com

UFC 123 preview: Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Lyoto Machida (16-1) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-8)

How we got here:

Former UFC light-heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage"

Jackson will square off in the main event of UFC 123 in a matchup of conflicting styles.

Machida entered his first title match against Rashad Evans with an undefeated mark of 14-0, including a 6-0 run in the UFC. Fans had been critical of Machida's elusive style of fighting -- he had won four of his first five UFC fights by decision -- but a highlight-reel first-round knockout of Thiago Silva earned Machida a shot at the gold.

In a battle of undefeated fighters, Machida didn't disappoint, knocking Evans out in the second round to claim the belt and causing announcer Joe Rogan to famously welcome fans to, "the Machida era."

That era came under duress immediately in Machida's first title defense, against fellow Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. In that fight, Rua had seemingly solved the puzzle of Machida's elusiveness, forcing the champion to engage first, then blasting him with leg and body kicks. In one of the most controversial decisions of the year, all three judges scored the fight 48-47 Machida, a decision that few fans or media pundits agreed with. UFC president Dana White granted Rua an immediate rematch, which took place at UFC 113.

Rua would not let the rematch reach a decision, scoring a first-round knockout and handing Machida his first career loss. Now, we will see how Machida rebounds after tasting defeat for the first time.

However, this could have been a much different story arc. Jackson was originally in line to fight Evans for the title, but injuries kept him from competing. The UFC opted to give the next chance to Machida, who took full opportunity.

When Jackson returned, he was offered a title shot against Machida. Rather than take the fight, though, Jackson elected to coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 10" opposite Evans. Taking Jackson's place in that title fight was Rua.

After a bizarre series of events that saw Jackson briefly retire to star in the movie "The A-Team," "Rampage" finally faced off against Evans at UFC 114. Evans controlled much of the fight to earn a unanimous decision victory, leaving Jackson 2-2 in his last four fights.

Now, Jackson and Machida will face off in a match that could have been for the title a year earlier.

After the jump, find out the keys to success for both fighters...

UFC 123: Jackson vs. Machida Fan Trailer

While not released by the UFC, this fan-made trailer for UFC 123: Jackson vs. Machida is still very good.



By way of BloodyElow.com