It’s safe to say Quinton “Rampage” Jackson isn’t a fan of Jon Jones.
The former UFC light heavyweight champ has been in Brazil taking in a well-deserved vacation after knocking out Joey Beltran in his Bellator debut.
According to Fighters Only, Jackson is currently in San Jose do Rio Preto, Sau Paulo, where he was involved in the launching of a new gym. When speaking with the media, he was asked to chime in on the upcoming UFC light heavyweight title bout between Jones and Glover Teixeira.
Seeing as Jackson had competed and lost against both fighters, the original thinking was that he could offer an interesting perspective when breaking down the bout.
As always, Jackson didn’t disappoint:
I think Glover is gonna win, Jackson told Fighters Only. I’m supporting him and I’m betting on him. Jon Jones is an excellent fighter but he doesn’t always put on a show for the fans so they aren‘t always happy with him. He is a great athlete. He is also one of the dirtiest opponents I have fought. If I could, I would break his knee for him so doesn’t fight ever again.
Jackson’s animosity toward Jones stems from their championship bout back in September 2011 at UFC 135, where Jones landed a plethora of knee kicks before submitting Jackson in the fourth round.
Since the fight, Jackson has maintained that Jones ruined his left knee, which is now heavily braced. During an episode of Rampage 4 Real on Spike TV, he explained that one of the kicks actually pushed his knee backward, and it hasn’t been the same ever since.
Jones’ fighting style is predicated around controversial kicking techniques that aim at or around an opponent’s knee. The kicks he utilizes are commonly known in the MMA community as side and oblique kicks. Jones uses the technique to maintain distance and keep opponents in his preferred striking range.
There has been plenty of debate amongst fans regarding kicks to the knees. Many feel the technique is just a part of the game, and opponents will have to find a way to adjust. Others believe it puts fighters at a serious injury risk, or like Jackson, it could potentially set them up for significant problems down the road.
Is Jones becoming the next Rousimar Palhares of the light heavyweight division, or is Jackson just expressing sour grapes over an old loss?
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