In an attempt to regain his position within the light heavyweight division, in turn, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson delivered an uninspiring performance against Ryan Bader at UFC 144.
Jackson said a knee injury had hindered his performance last weekend and he was prescribed Testosterone Replacement Therapy by his doctor to help treat the injury.
It was the first time the 33-year-old had experimented with the drug, and while he said it was effective, it did also contribute to his weight gain which caused him to miss the 205-pound weight limit by six pounds.
“I started hitting it up pretty good, I still gotta take care of my knee but I feel like a 25-year-old again … I got stronger, lifting weights,” Jackson told FightersOnly.com.
Jackson was aware of other fighters’ usage of TRT as a performance-enhancing drug and he was hesitant on taking it. Ultimately, Jackson decided to oblige and not back out of his non-title bout with Bader, for the sake of the Japanese fans.
“So I spoke to the UFC and they were like, ‘Yeah, a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone.’ Me, I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong,” he said. “I feel young again. I’m happy I did the testosterone, I wish I had known about it sooner.”
Jackson has now dropped back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, but he said he has no intention to retire anytime soon.
It is unsure of where Jackson’s future lies in the light heavyweight division, but a rumored matchup involving Mauricio “Shogun” Rua might just be the one bout that motivates Jackson to prolong his career.
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