LAS VEGAS -- Brian Stann's striking proved to be too much for Jorge Santiago's return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday.  Stann put away Santiago with a technical knockout in the second round of their bout at UFC 130 in Las Vegas. Stann won his third consecutive bout since dropping to middleweight last year, and recorded his first victory over a top-10 fighter.  The USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings for middleweights list Santiago at No. 8, six places ahead of Stann.  MAIN EVENT: 'Rampage' wins decision over Hamill  AS IT HAPPENED: UFC 130 play-by-play  Santiago's end came after Stann floored him with a punch in the final minute of the second round. Stunned and unable to defend himself from Stann's blows on the mat, Santiago was saved by the referee stoppage with 38 seconds left in the round.  Several hooks and low kicks from Stann in the opening round left Santiago looking tentative as he circled the cage. Stann landed 45 power strikes in the first round, compared to six for Santiago, according to Compustrike.  In a prelude to the finish, Stann scored a knockdown three minutes into the first round with a hook; Santiago survived his opponent's ground-and-pound to the next round, but appeared worn as he walked to his corner.  Saturday's fight was Santiago's first bout in UFC since 2006. He rebuilt his reputation with a 11-1 run over the last four and a half years, mostly in Japan, where he held the middleweight championship for Sengoku Raiden Championship.  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Stann puts away Santiago at UFC 130 - MMA Fighting Stances: Mixed martial arts intelligence from the cage and ring - USATODAY.com