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Dana White Is Getting Tired of Rampage Jackson’s Anti-UFC Antics

Remember two months ago when I told you the UFC should cut Rampage Jackson after he went on a Twitter tirade against the company?I still believe that to be true. Even Dana White saying he would allow Jackson to leave after he fulfilled the final fight …

Remember two months ago when I told you the UFC should cut Rampage Jackson after he went on a Twitter tirade against the company?

I still believe that to be true. Even Dana White saying he would allow Jackson to leave after he fulfilled the final fight on his contract hasn’t stopped the popular light heavyweight from continuing his anti-UFC campaign. Jackson went on HDNet’s Inside MMA earlier this week and reiterated that he’d be leaving the UFC after his next fight. He also criticized them for booking him against wrestlers rather than dudes who would willingly exchange punches.

Until today, White took the high road in responding to Jackson. But as he told the media after today’s UFC on FOX press conference in New York City, he’s growing just a little bit tired of Jackson’s antics:

Rampage is obviously not happy with the UFC. No big deal brother. You don’t want to be here anymore. The way I always look at it is, we have this mutual relationship with the fighters. Do we always see eye to eye? Do we always get along? Whatever the deal might be. As far as money goes, everybody needs to make more money. That is human nature.

And you want to talk about a guy that we went to bat for? We’ve gone to bat for him many times. I feel like [expletive] Jeter when it comes to Rampage, OK? If he’s unhappy with us, doesn’t like us, and doesn’t want to be with us anymore? Then the feeling is mutual.

I’m not sure if White plans on cutting Rampage immediately, or if he’ll make him do the final fight on his contract.

But there’s one thing I do know. Jackson’s complaint that the UFC makes him face wrestlers is ludicrous. Yes, he faces wrestlers. But that’s what happens when you’re near the top of the division. You don’t get paid huge amounts of money to face hand-picked opponents that are easier to knock out. When you reach the level Jackson did—and he reached that level by being one of the best light heavyweights in the sport—you have to face the best guys out there, and that list of people will inevitably include wrestlers.

Out of Jackson’s 11 UFC fights, I only see four guys who are primarily wrestlers: Rashad Evans, Matt Hamill, Jon Jones and Ryan Bader. Dan Henderson does have a wrestling background, but he rarely uses it these days. And Jon Jones beat Jackson everywhere the fight took place, not just on the mat.

Jackson has always been one of my favorite fighters to watch, so it’s sad to see him going out this way. But I do agree with White. If Jackson really doesn’t want to be there any more, it’s time to send him packing.

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UFC Video Debate: Is Jon Jones the Greatest Light Heavyweight of All Time?

In the span of just a few years, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has amassed one of the best resumes in the history of combat sports. Yes, he’s young. Yes, he’s only defended his championship three times. And yes, he has a long time left …

In the span of just a few years, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has amassed one of the best resumes in the history of combat sports.

Yes, he’s young. Yes, he’s only defended his championship three times. And yes, he has a long time left before he can be considered one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport.

But discussions are already taking place about Jones’ place in the history of the light heavyweight division. By handily beating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, Jones has carved out a place amongst the light heavyweight greats.

But where, exactly, does he rank? Is he already the best light heavyweight of all time, at just 24 years of age? Are the fighters he’s beaten impressive enough to earn him a place at the head of the table?

In the video above, Bleacher Report lead writers Jonathan Snowden and Jeremy Botter discuss Jones and his place in history.

You can join the conversation by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

Is Jones the greatest 205-pound fighter in history?

Or is it much too early to make such a claim?

Tell us what you think!

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UFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz Can Talk, but Jim Miller Will Punch Him in the Face

It’s no secret that Nathan—and yes, he prefers to be called Nathan—is the tamer of the Diaz brothers.In public situations, Nick can be a handful to deal with. This is not a big secret. Nathan, on the other hand, is generally quiet and respe…

It’s no secret that Nathan—and yes, he prefers to be called Nathan—is the tamer of the Diaz brothers.

In public situations, Nick can be a handful to deal with. This is not a big secret. Nathan, on the other hand, is generally quiet and respectful to media and fans. The only time he gets fired up and puts on his Diaz suit is when he’s provoked by his opponents, as witnessed in his confrontation with Donald Cerrone at the UFC 141 press conference in December.

In the cage, it’s a different story. Nathan takes on just about every characteristic of his older brother. You see the constant trash-talking and the mocking hand movements. It’s just part of the Diaz style, and it’s hard for some of their opponents to deal with.

That verbal assault won’t come as a surprise to Jim Miller when he steps in the cage with Diaz on Saturday night. Miller told MMAWeekly Radio that growing up in a house full of brothers prepared him for anything Diaz can throw his way:

I grew up with three siblings so anything that’s said in there is sticks and stones. I just don’t worry about that stuff. Not give him the opportunity to talk. I’m not here to play the games and all that stuff. If it comes down to that, he can worry about talking. I’m not going to be. I’m going to try to punch him as hard as I can and choke him out.

I’m not going to lie to you, folks. Watching Nick and Nathan unleash a constant stream of verbal abuse on their opponents is one of the major reasons I enjoy watching them fight so much.

It’s always interesting to see how guys handle it. Some guys ignore it, while others get flustered and lose sight of their game plan. It’s a very effective tactic for unsettling their opponents, though I don’t think that’s the reason they do it.

They do it because, at their core, the Diaz brothers are in a fight. They don’t view UFC bouts as competitions or as a way to test themselves against other athletes. They’re here to fight like they do in the streets of their hometown, and that usually involves a little trash-talking. Or a lot of trash-talking.

I’ll be interested to see how Miller responds to Diaz in the cage. It’s one thing to say you’re prepared for it, but it’s an entirely different thing when a Diaz is standing in front of you insulting you, your mother, your fighting style and the way you look.

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UFC on FOX 3: Which Main Card Fight Will Be the Most Thrilling?

Saturday’s UFC on FOX show represents a change in matchmaking direction for the UFC, at least when it comes to the network flagship show.The past two network events have featured big-name stars squaring off. The UFC put its best foot forward in an atte…

Saturday’s UFC on FOX show represents a change in matchmaking direction for the UFC, at least when it comes to the network flagship show.

The past two network events have featured big-name stars squaring off. The UFC put its best foot forward in an attempt to garner eyeballs, and it worked swimmingly. The only problem? Some of the fights were boring, and viewers tuned out in droves.

And so we come to this Saturday night, where the promotion is opting to go for guaranteed fireworks rather than big-name appeal. The thinking is that by putting exciting fights on television—even if those fights don’t feature guys who are everyday household names—viewers will be more apt to stay tuned to the broadcast and perhaps even call their friends to urge them to tune in.

Will the new strategy work? Time will tell. However, one thing is for sure: We’re in store for some great fights on Saturday night.

And since there’s nothing I enjoy more than making lists, I’m going to rank the upcoming fights from most exciting to least. You should do the same because, again, there’s nothing more enjoyable than making lists.

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UFC on FOX: Josh Koscheck Really Doesn’t Like It When You Call Him an Old Man

Josh Koscheck says a lot of things. Some of them are designed to build up fights—Koscheck is, after all, one of the best heels in mixed martial arts. He’s found his niche and understands that the fans hating him with a passion is far better than …

And then there are the times when Koscheck is simply being a jerk.

Today was one of those days. Koscheck unloaded on the media attending the UFC on FOX open workouts—which Bleacher Report attended—taking them to task for stories highlighting Koscheck’s age as a factor in his upcoming fight with Johny Hendricks.

“A lot of you people write all these stories. ‘Youth versus age’. Bull[expletive]. You guys are all [expletive] retards. Retards.”

“Every one of you, counting me out, I love it. Keep counting me out. I’ll be fighting for four or five more years. Every time you write a story about me, just say I’m too old. Too washed up. Too many fights. Too many miles,” Koscheck said. “I like that. I’ve got a lot of people to prove wrong on Saturday night, and I’m looking at every one of you. You’re probably all writing that [expletive] about me.”

Well, then.

Koscheck has never been a media darling. Interviewing him is often a chore, as you’re more likely to get a sarcastic answer to a serious question than anything resembling a real response. He wasn’t always this way; I remember talking to him a few months after the completion of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Koscheck was courteous and gave honest answers to every question I had.

But time changes everything, and the Josh Koscheck of 2005 is far different than the Koscheck of 2012.

I understand that dealing with media is a chore. I’ve followed fighters as they’ve gone through media gauntlets during fight week, and it’s like Groundhog Day—a never-ending line of reporters asking the exact same questions. That has to get on a fighter’s nerves after awhile. Hell, it got on my nerves, and I wasn’t the one being forced to repeatedly answer the same question.

But dealing with the media is part of the job when you’re a public figure who is constantly in the limelight. All professional athletes go through the same thing. When you’re being paid millions of dollars and appearing on high-profile sporting events, it’s only natural that the public will want to know more about you, and getting to know you requires the media to ask questions.

Koscheck’s age is a very real angle in this fight. He’s 34 years old—not exactly a spring chicken when it comes to the fight game—and Hendricks is 28. The age difference becomes an even more appropriate storyline going into the fight because of the many similarities between Koscheck and Hendricks.

They’re not mirror images of each other, but they’re close. Both were outstanding collegiate wrestlers. Both have developed big power in their hands. But one of them is 34 and has been in far more battles than his younger, less-seasoned opponent.

How does that affect the fight? Will the knockouts Koscheck suffered in the past cause his chin to fail him against a guy who has never experienced a knockout blow in a fight? Does Koscheck lose his speed and response time as he gets older?

These are valid questions, no matter what Koscheck thinks.

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UFC on FOX 3: Johny Hendricks Talks Beard Grooming, Fighter Callouts and More

Johny Hendricks has a fantastic beard.This cannot be denied. Hendricks has one of the manliest beards in sports, if not the entire world. It’s part of his fight-camp rituals, one of those quirks that only fighters can get away with. It is, I dare say, …

Johny Hendricks has a fantastic beard.

This cannot be denied. Hendricks has one of the manliest beards in sports, if not the entire world. It’s part of his fight-camp rituals, one of those quirks that only fighters can get away with. It is, I dare say, one of the things I enjoy most about mixed martial arts.

It’s not easy growing an epic beard. As Hendricks told me during a live chat on Wednesday afternoon, his wife plays a big part in the process.

“First off, you have to have a good wife that doesn’t care if you have facial hair,” Hendricks said. “And she does this oil treatment for her hair. If my beard starts feeling too rough for her, she puts the oil in it.

“It’s a little weird, but she does all she can to make sure it’s good for her.”

The biggest night of Hendricks’ (and his beard’s) professional mixed martial arts career comes this Saturday night when he faces Josh Koscheck in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 3.

And if the stakes weren’t already high enough—Koscheck is, after all, Hendricks’ most high-profile opponent to date, and by a wide margin—UFC president Dana White added a little fuel to the fire when he announced during a Wednesday conference call that Hendricks will be in line for a title shot if he beats Koscheck.

It’s thrilling news for Hendricks, who is understandably amped up for the fight.

“I think it’s awesome. It’s great news. You can’t get more excited than that,” Hendricks said. “I get to fight a tough dude like Koscheck, and then a title shot if I win? It’s great.”

Hendricks is focused squarely on Koscheck, and rightly so. Both men are former standout collegiate wrestlers who have developed excellent power in their hands. Hendricks and Koscheck are alike in so many ways, which is one of the many things that makes this fight so intriguing.

But if Hendricks does get past Koscheck, will he feel any pressure to call out interim champion Carlos Condit on live television?

“Sometimes you do have to make your stand if you really want something,” Hendricks said. “The UFC wants to put on shows that the fans want to see, and if the fans want to see you fight someone, that’s what’s going to happen.

“I never call anyone out because I have too much respect for everyone. It’s hard enough just getting in the Octagon. If you call somebody out and you end up losing, it looks worse. For example, say I win and I call out for a title shot, then that’s what I have to do. If not for a title shot situation, I don’t think you should. I let my managers do that.”

I can hear the excitement in Hendricks’ voice. He realizes that he’s finally reached a different level in the UFC, and that Saturday night represents a chance to establish himself near the top of the welterweight division.

The idea of fighting on network television—and being a featured star on that televised fight card—didn’t really settle in until Hendricks saw himself in a UFC on FOX commercial while watching NASCAR.

“I think the most excited I got was when I was watching NASCAR last week or the week before,” Hendricks said. “They showed my name on a commercial, that I would be fighting. I think that was the most excited I’ve been.”

To Hendricks, appearing on a NASCAR broadcast means he’s made it. Saturday night, he has a chance to prove to UFC fans that he’ll be sticking around for awhile.

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