MMA icon Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is not the kind of fighter known for letting his emotions get the best of him. But looking back on his career, the former light heavyweight world champion recalls breaking down in tears following one fight in particular.
Interestingly enough, it wasn’t even one of his own.
During a recent episode of the JAXXON Podcast, ‘Rampage’ reluctantly revealed that he was overcome with emotion following Michael Bisping’s brutal knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 in 2009.
“I never cried, but me and Bisping, we was like brothers, especially back then. We’re not as close as now because some bullshit happened between our managers,” Jackson said. “Me, [Cheick] Kongo, and Bisping we was all like brothers. I never cried when I got knocked out, but when Bisping got knocked out the one time — it was him [looks at Henderson] — I cried in the locker room! He got knocked out that bad, I felt really bad. I’m almost ashamed to say it.”
“I felt like, at the time, maybe I didn’t help him good enough in training or something. It was something like that, and I just felt bad for him. I remember crying in the locker room like what the f*ck is wrong with me. Why am I crying? I never cry, it’s weird” (h/t BJPenn.com).
Henderson’s second-round KO of ‘The Count’ is still considered to be one of the greatest knockouts in the history of the sport. However, Michael Bisping did get a bit of redemption seven years later when the pair ran it back at UFC 204. On that night, the former middleweight titleholder defended his 185-pound crown against ‘Hendo’ via unanimous decision.
Dan Henderson retired from MMA following the loss.