UFC 130: Matt Hamill looks to add another famous former champ to his resume

Matt 'The Hammer' Hamill
was both surprised and elated when Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson was lined up as his opponent for UFC 130 and now, merely days from battle, the Ohio-native looks to make the most of the opportunity. Hamill and Rampage meet on Saturday, May 28 in Las Vegas and, having strung together five wins on the bounce, 'The Hammer' knows Jackson could mark his biggest scalp to date. “Beating Tito Ortiz in my last fight definitely put me in line to get bigger fights and I knew I was ready for the next level, so I'm just glad I'm there now. “I don't blame Rampage for thinking he deserved a bigger fight. Rampage should be thinking about fighting the top five guys in the world, but I feel like I can beat him and I just want to thank him for giving me the opportunity.
I see Rampage as a big name and as somebody who can bring me to the next level.” Eager to eventually reach and surpass the kind of level Rampage has enjoyed success at, Hamill is a patient and determined individual, blessed with an honesty and modesty that has made him one of the UFC's fan favourites. “I didn't think Rampage would take the fight, simply because I'm not one of the top guys in the division as far as the rankings go,” adds Matt. “I figured that he'd be eyeing up Rashad Evans or a rematch with Forrest Griffin. I just thought that Rampage would think that I am not in his league - but this is my chance to prove that I am in his league.” In order to prove he can hang with and defeat 'Rampage', the 34-year-old Hamill will need to utilise his standout wrestling skills to determine where Saturday's fight takes place. As well as being a strong and dominant force on the ground, Hamill also remains a danger with his fists, though appreciates the danger of standing in range with a noted banger like Jackson. “My whole training camp has been geared towards avoiding Rampage's hands, as he's got great power in both hands,” says Hamill. “Even though I have a great chin, I can be knocked out. So my number one goal is to avoid that.”