Quinton “Rampage” Jackson says he won’t accept a Hall-of-Fame induction from the UFC.
If you’ve followed this sport for a long time, you’re aware of Quinton Jackson’s accomplishments. A former UFC champion, “Rampage” delivered some of the most memorable performances in the past two decades, both inside the Octagon and the squared ring.
Sometime in the future, the UFC will likely induct Jackson into its Hall-of-Fame. But if you ask the 43-year-old veteran, he’d rather receive some form of monetary compensation for his efforts for the company.
“Honor me with a f—ng check,” Rampage told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “MMA fighters, we’re not like baseball players, we’re not like football players. We don’t get no pension and nothing like that. Those guys that get in the Hall-of-Fame, they got pensions and all that shit. We don’t get that shit.
“Honor me with a check. I’ve got a lot of injuries and pain for making the UFC a lot of money and selling a lot of pay-per-views, selling a lot of tickets. What do I give a f—k about a ‘Hall-of-Fame’ to be famous?”
Rampage seems to have a complex relationship with the fame that comes with his chosen profession. While he does accept some of it, he generally isn’t fond of being in the MMA spotlight.
“MMA fame, what’s that? You get a bunch of dudes trying to buy you drinks and shit,” he said after Saturday’s Triad Combat event. “You feel like a chick whenever you go anywhere. The dudes always want f—ng pictures with you and shit.
“I love my fans. I love Rampage fans. I don’t love all MMA fans, but I love our Rampage fans. But sometimes, dudes need to leave me the f—k alone. There are certain times. If I’m eating with my kids, I’m at the club with a hot chick… If I’m with an ugly one, OK, I’ll give you a pass. But if I’m with a hot one, leave me the f—k alone.”
Rampage, who last saw action against Fedor Emelianenko in 2019, isn’t looking forward to a cage return right now. He instead prefers to engage in a boxing match with former world champion Shannon Briggs.