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UFC 144 Results: Dana White Questions Rampage Jackson’s Desire to Fight

Once considered one of the most fearless, intense and unbelievably skilled fighters on the planet, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson seems to have struggled in some of his recent bouts. It’s not just in the cage, either. It’s outside the cage when he should be preparing for his fights that he just does not seem to be putting in the same type of dedication that he used to.

At UFC 144, that lack of dedication came to a low point when he was defeated relatively easily by former The Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader.

UFC president Dana White has since come out and publicly addressed the situation with Jackson and his future with fighting in a post-fight interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

“I’m disappointed,” he bluntly said. “I think Rampage is so talented. I just question whether he wants to do this anymore and have been since probably the A-Team movie.”

Jackson has never been a fan of training, even going as far as to say that he hates it at times. But never has he done what he did on Friday afternoon when he stepped on the scale a ridiculous six pounds overweight at 211 pounds for a bout at 205.

The Jackson camp claims that there was an injury that prevented him from making the target weight, but they did not inform Dana White of that any time prior to the day of the weigh-ins.

“I had no clue until the day of the weigh-ins. That’s when they told me,” White said.

After the loss, Jackson did speak to White for a brief moment, apologizing for what had happened both in the fight and at the weigh-ins.

“He said ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I want to fight again’ and ‘I’ll come back’ and ‘I want to be better’, so we’ll see what happens,” White said.

There has been some speculation as to whether there really was an injury or if Jackson just wasn’t taking this fight as seriously as some he has competed in before, just due to relative lack of name value of Bader.

Jackson has not confirmed this speculation, but the UFC president didn’t seem to disagree that it was a possibility.

“I HATE guys saying, ‘I’m not motivated for this fight.’ Well, you better get motivated because guess what – Ryan Bader’s motivated to kick your ass.”

And kick his ass, he did. Bader beat Jackson up for 15 minutes, out-striking him by a total throughout the bout of 109 to 30 according to FightMetric scoring. Bader also added four takedowns throughout the contest compared to just one from Jackson.

Rampage is always going to be looked at as one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, but when the UFC president is calling someone out for a lack of motivation and desire to fight, it’s likely only to lead to one of two things. Either it’ll light a fire under him and inspire him to get back to taking things seriously, or he’ll take the complete opposite way and that might even be more interesting to see at this point.

Either way, these next few weeks and months could be very interesting for the fighting future of the former champion.

For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron.

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UFC 144 Results: Ryan Bader Believes Rampage Jackson Might Have Overlooked Him

At one time, Ryan Bader was hyped to be perhaps the next great thing in mixed martial arts at 205 pounds. The former college wrestler turned light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter, was well on his way to contending for a title when he fought …

At one time, Ryan Bader was hyped to be perhaps the next great thing in mixed martial arts at 205 pounds. The former college wrestler turned light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter, was well on his way to contending for a title when he fought fellow up-and-comer Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 126.

Bader lost that fight in rather embarrassing fashion, getting pummeled all around the cage by the bigger, more athletic and apparently more “UFC-ready” opponent. Most fans seemed to give Bader a pass on that loss, though, as Jones would soon become the UFC light heavyweight champion.

It was Bader’s surprising loss to Tito Ortiz just a few months later that really turned heads.

The UFC gave Bader one more chance against Jason Brilz this past November at UFC, and he took advantage of it, knocking out the Omaha native early in the first round. But it wasn’t until UFC 144 on Saturday, when he was finally given another chance to compete against a top-level opponent when he battled former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

“To lose two in a row, you’ve really got to step back and be like, ‘What am I doing wrong?'” Bader said in his post-fight interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “I’ve grown so much as a fighter, mentally and physically. I think everything just kind of came together.”

That improvement showed on Saturday, as he was able to fend off and control Jackson from bell to bell, earning a unanimous decision victory despite being a fairly significant underdog coming into the bout.

Bader remained the underdog despite Jackson weighing six pounds over the 205-pound weight limit and essentially admitting that he was injured in some way going into the fight. This type of excuse-making before a fight is usually against ethics, but it didn’t seem to bother Bader.

“We have a job to do and we don’t really worry about the opponent. We go in there and perform and that’s all we can do for our job,” Bader said.

Still, it was suddenly tough to believe that Jackson wasn’t working as hard for this bout as he had for others in the past.

“Maybe he didn’t train the hardest he could have, maybe he overlooked me,” Bader prophesied. “Especially with him missing weight, you’re kind of like ‘Oh did he not train for this fight? Did he not respect me?’ But I don’t care. I came out and did my job which is to win. I don’t get my feelings hurt.”

The fact that Jackson may not have trained as hard for the fight might have been a small shot to Bader’s ego, but he still looked at it as perhaps the most important moment of his professional career.

“It’s the highlight of my career,” he said. “I’ve had a couple highlights like winning The Ultimate Fighter but you’re really not in the UFC then. That was cool at the moment. And then fighting your first big name like [Keith] Jardine and [Antonio Rodrigo] Nogueira. And then getting a win like this. I grew up watching the guy. He’s one of my favorite fighters and to be able to fight him, let alone in Japan, and beat him, it’s a surreal experience.”

Now back on the right path to success, Ryan Bader has once again established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the light heavyweight division.

For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron.

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UFC 144 Results: Jake Shields Told Commission to Check Akiyama’s Skin for Grease

Coming off of back-to-back losses to Georges St-Pierre and Jake Ellenberger, Saturday’s fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama could have been argued as perhaps the most important, must-win fight of Jake Shields’ professional career. The former Strikefor…

The former Strikeforce middleweight champion had fought and defeated legends such as Dan Henderson in the past, but the pressure that was relieved when his hand was raised at UFC 144 was tremendous.

“I’ve felt pressure before like against GSP in fighting for the title. But this pressure was not a good pressure,” Shields told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani in a post-fight interview. “I was sick to my stomach this morning, coming off of two losses. If I had lost this, I might’ve been cut from the UFC and I’m 33 years old, I don’t want to be out there in the minor leagues trying to work my way back up.”

Though he was critical of his own performance, noting a few changes that he needs to make going forward, Shields did perform well enough against the new face at 170 pounds, Akiyama. Not only that, but Shields felt some love from the fans in Japan despite the fact that he was going up against one of the most popular fighters from the country.

“This crowd felt like a U.S. crowd. They were enthusiastic, cheering. They were even cheering for me!” Shields smiled. “It was like even between me and Akiyama. That was really cool.”

The former Strikeforce champ had to fight through some adversity during the fight including when Akiyama grabbed the fence twice in the fight to avoid takedowns. Typically this kind of foul would be accompanied by a point deduction, which could have potentially played a big factor in the final decision, but that did not happen in the fight.

“It sucks, but I’m not going to hold grudges against it. Sometimes you do things in the cage and you’re not really thinking about it.”

Shields did admit, however, that he was concerned going into the fight about a history of cheating scandals that Akiyama had been involved in earlier in his career when it came to fighting in Japan.

“I told the commission, hey, check this guy’s skin,” Shields said.

Akiyama has been accused of “greasing” in the past, a form of cheating which involved oiling a fighter’s skin up to make it tougher for an opponent to grab onto and thus much more difficult for the opponent to control the fight.

“But lately, hey, he’s older, he’s more honorable. He hasn’t cheated in years. I don’t want to knock the guy, but he’s been accused of cheating four of five times in the past out here.”

Shields did praise his opponent, however, adding that he hopes this isn’t the last time we’ve seen him in the Octagon.

“He was even tougher to take down than I expected,” the Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu team member said. “I hope the UFC gives him another chance. I think he’s a legit contender at 170. The guy is strong, he’s got heavy hands, he’s fast. He gassed a little bit, but I think he’s in better shape at that weight and I would like to see him fight again.”

For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron.

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UFC 144 Fight Card: Why the UFC Wants Benson Henderson to Win

Whether Zuffa and its child company, the UFC, want to admit it or not, they almost always have some sort of rooting interest in every bout. Yes, the company makes money no matter which fighter comes out on top, but the difference in future earnings for…

So while they would be satisfied with Frankie Edgar staying atop the lightweight division, it is my belief that deep down, the company would love to see Benson Henderson walk out of the Saitama Super Arena as the new 155-pound champion at UFC 144.

Before you call me crazy and/or a host of other adjectives, please allow me to explain…

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UFC 144: Underdog Again? It’s Time to Stop Doubting Joe Lauzon

In a sport overflowing with tatted-up, Affliction T-shirt-wearing, muscle-bound maniacs, it’s almost comical to see someone like UFC 144’s Joe Lauzon step into the cage. Some would probably even laugh at the idea that he is a professional f…

One look at him and it should come as no surprise that Lauzon has spent much of his fighting career labeled as a decisive underdog.

Unlike many of his opponents who could double as actors on “Sons of Anarchy” or “The Wire,” Lauzon looks more like the guy down the street who runs a computer repair business out of his parents’ basement.

But behind that dorky disguise is an absolute force in the Octagon. A fighter who has not only derailed the hype trains of numerous top UFC lightweights, but one who is now set on making a name for himself as more than just a spoiler.

At UFC 144, Joe Lauzon has an opportunity to take that next step. His fight against Anthony Pettis is not only a way to stop another top challenger, it’s also a way to force the fans and UFC matchmakers to finally recognize him as the top-level competitor that he is.

On the surface, the styles of these two lightweights could not be more polar opposite from one another.

Anthony Pettis will undoubtedly go down in history for his unbelievable “Showtime kick” on Benson Henderson on the final WEC event. His kung fu movie-like striking has made him a rising star among both casual and hardcore fans.

Meanwhile Joe Lauzon has gone the opposite route, quietly flying under the radar largely due to his humble attitude toward the fight game.

It’s not that Lauzon hasn’t been great in the Octagon. In fact, he has put together an impressive resume that rivals that of practically anyone in the weight class. The recipient of eight separate UFC “fight/knockout/submission of the night” bonuses, Lauzon could be argued as the most consistently entertaining fighter in the sport today.

His road through the UFC lightweight division hasn’t always been smooth sailing, though. In fact, it has been littered with doubters, particularly when it comes to his standup game.

They said he shouldn’t stand with Jens Pulver. They said he shouldn’t stand with Melvin Guillard. But like a hero without fear, Lauzon stood up and smashed both men on the feet with relative ease, using his superior fight intellect to find the perfect opening to exploit.

Now comes Anthony Pettis, perhaps the most dangerous and unpredictable striker in the UFC today. Like Guillard and Pulver before him, Pettis sits as a significant favorite in betting lines to walk out with a victory over Lauzon at UFC 144.

But as he has done so many times in the past, Joe Lauzon will embrace his role as the underdog. He’ll come in with an excellent gameplan as he always does and he won’t give Anthony Pettis any breathing room. In fact, he has practically admitted that he will be trying to do exactly what he did against Pulver and Guillard, by smashing Pettis early in the fight.

“I’m sure his gameplan is going to be to kind of ride out the pressure, pace in the first, and then take it to me in the second,” Lauzon told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “But a lot of other guys have had that same gameplan and I’ve still overwhelmed them in the first.”

A former WEC lightweight champion, Pettis is certainly capable of doing what Pulver and Guillard were unable to do by getting a victory over “J-Lau.” But if he doesn’t pick up on the mistakes that Lauzon’s prior opponents have made, it could be a very short night, with Pettis looking up at the lights and wondering, “What happened?”

Joe Lauzon might not look the part, but so long as the odds-makers continue to doubt him, he’s going to keep costing them truckloads of money as he walks out of the cage with his hand raised time and time again.

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Bellator 64: Minnesota’s Mike Richman Signs to Fight WEC Veteran Chris Horodecki

The Bellator 64 card is beginning to take shape, as the promotion recently signed former UFC The Ultimate Fighter cast member Mike “The Marine” Richman for the upcoming event at the Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino in Ontario, Canada on Apr…

The Bellator 64 card is beginning to take shape, as the promotion recently signed former UFC The Ultimate Fighter cast member Mike “The Marine” Richman for the upcoming event at the Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino in Ontario, Canada on April 7.

According to Richman’s manager Jeremy Bjornberg, who broke the news on Facebook, Richman will help bolster an already interesting looking fight card, as he steps in the cage across from former WEC veteran Chris Horodecki. The event will be headlined by the main event between welterweight champion Ben Askren and challenger Douglas Lima, which was announced just over a week ago.

Horodecki is just 24 years old, but he brings a world of experience into the cage, having already fought all over North America for the IFL, WEC and now Bellator Fighting Championships. He took advantage of his first fight for the promotion back in July 2011, when he defeated Chris Saunders, only to fight to a majority draw this past November in his second Bellator bout, against Mike Corey.

Victories over the likes of UFC talents, including Danny Downes and Bart Palaszewski, make Horodecki likely the toughest opponent that Richman has ever competed against as a professional. The 26-year-old former Marine has only been fighting since 2008, but what he lacks in big fight experience, he makes up for in confidence.

“I’m training with the best of the best, which has totally elevated my game,” Richman told Bleacher Report this past November regarding his team at The Academy in Minnesota. “I feel if I would’ve started my career training here, I would be 11-0, not 10-1.”

Richman also guaranteed back then that he would be fighting for a major promotion, whether it be the UFC or Bellator, in 2012. It didn’t take long before he, and his managers at Sterling Entertainment Group, turned that promise into a reality.

Now it’s time to prove that he deserves to stay.

“This has the potential to be a fight of the year,” Bjornberg said via Facebook. “Mike’s gonna make his presence known!”

Thanks to Sandy Hackenmuller of Fight to Finish Photography for the photo.

For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com