Santiago Returns to Octagon Against Stann at UFC 130

---

Six bouts are once again official for UFC 130 “Edgar vs. Maynard 3,” as a rumored middleweight tilt between Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago was ratified by the promotion on Wednesday.

Stann was originally slated to face Wanderlei Silva at the event, but the “Axe Murderer” was vocal in his desire not to fight the American fan favorite and was replaced by Santiago, whose services the UFC recently reacquired.

UFC 130 will be headlined by a lightweight championship rematch between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard and will go down May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Also scheduled for the show is a light heavyweight tilt pitting former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson against Matt Hamill. At heavyweight, Stefan Struve will meet Travis Browne in a clash of top prospects, while Frank Mir will lock horns with Roy Nelson.

A former World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion, Stann has won four of his last five bouts. The onetime U.S. Marine made the cut to middleweight following a loss to Phil Davis in February 2010 and he has reaped the reward of two consecutive victories. Stann debuted at 185 pounds against Mike Massenzio, submitting the New Jersey native with a triangle choke in August before knocking out Chris Leben at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day.

Santiago recently departed Japanese promotion Sengoku Raiden Championship to sign with the UFC, vacating his SRC middleweight title in the process. The American Top Team product has only lost once in nearly four years and rides back-to-back wins into his bout with Stann. After falling to Mamed Khalidov at Sengoku 11 in November 2009, Santiago avenged the loss four months later. In August, the Brazilian defeated Kazuo Misaki in a bout named Sherdog.com’s 2010 “Fight of the Year.” Santiago went 1-2 in his first run with the UFC and was released following consecutive losses to Leben and Alan Belcher.