In the space of two years, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson has aired his grievances against the UFC and Bellator, left both promotions and is still somehow an employee of each.
The news of ‘Rampage’ leaving Bellator MMA and re-signing with the UFC was announced Saturday during FOX Sports’ telecast of UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway.
Following the event, Jackson briefly explained the situation in a call-in interview with studio hosts Jay Glazer, Kenny Florian and Gilbert Melendez.
“I haven’t been happy with my contract at Bellator for awhile, since after the pay-per-view with King Mo,” Jackson said Saturday. “Bjorn Rebney, I don’t know what happened. He left Bellator, got fired — I don’t know. The contract just wasn’t right. My manager and I, we were trying to fix it. Bellator, they didn’t want to fix it in 45 days. I terminated the contract.”
Bellator MMA president Scott Coker responded to the news Saturday night in a Tweet, alluding that there may be a legal battle ahead.
Let us be clear that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is under an exclusive contract with #BellatorMMA. We will protect our contractual rights
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) December 21, 2014
Sunday, Jackson released an official statement via his webpage, claiming Bellator MMA to have been in breach of his contract.
Official statement on my UFC signing and what’s happening at http://t.co/2iCm2dLQDw (so Scott Coker can shut up)
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) December 21, 2014
After five months of grueling negotiations and gray-area contract talks with Bellator MMA and parent-company Viacom, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson officially terminates his contract with the up-and-coming promotion citing multiple breaches since the removal of President and Founder Bjorn Rebney. Jackson exercises a clause in the agreement that allows for a 45-day window to satisfy any contract dispute. Bellator MMA, failing to fulfill the requests of Jackson, was put on notice, failed to respond and eventually notified that negotiations were officially terminated.
Jackson’s U.K.-based fight manager and Wolfslair Academy founder Anthony McGann confirms, late Saturday night, that “Rampage has indeed signed with the UFC.” Details of the deal have not been made public. Jackson was available for comment late Saturday night from his Laguna Hills, CA training center Rampage Family Fitness and provided the following: “I went to the UFC and we put a deal together that worked out for both of us. I’m excited to be here. The UFC had nothing to do with me leaving Bellator. I was done with Bellator when I made the final call and they still didn’t do what they had to do contractually. I wish those guys the best but I’m where I belong.”
According to sources close to the situation, Jackson claims Bellator failed to provide him with pay-per-view numbers for his May 17 bout against ‘King’ Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 120. Jackson then terminated the contract when the company failed to rectify the situation in the allotted time period.
Jackson hasn’t specified any sort of date for his UFC return, but plans to be active in ‘early 2015.’
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Fortunes changed for five. Dave Meltzer explains how Lyoto Machida, C.B. Dollaway, Erick Silva, Patrick Cummins and Renan Barao move forward following this weekend’s Fight Night event in Brazil.
‘It’s all a little confusing.’ Chuck Mindenhall has questions about the UFC re-signing Rampage Jackson.
‘An excellent fight.’ Lyoto Machida isn’t ruling out a fight with Luke Rockhold at UFC 184 in Los Angeles.
‘It’s a disappointing loss.’ C.B. Dollaway says the liver kick he took from Lyoto Machida ‘basically paralyzed’ him.
More Stoolgate. Yoel Romero believes the punches Tim Kennedy rocked him with in the second round of their UFC 178 fight were illegal.
MEDIA STEW
Highlights from Lyoto Machida vs. C.B. Dollaway and Renan Barao vs. Mitch Gagnon.
Rampage talks returning to UFC.
Jon Jones‘ top UFC moments.
Dominick Cruz talks TJ Dillashaw, Faber, CM Punk and more. (Watch here if video doesn’t load)
Luke Thomas Is Pissed: Michael Sam, Tiger Woods, Donald Sterling, and more.
Former NBA bust(?) Darko Milicic’s kickboxing debut didn’t go too well.
Long watches.
Fight Night Barueri: Post-Fight Press Conference
…
TWEETS
See how the pros reacted to Machida’s KO Saturday night.
Victory lap.
Vencer em casa é vencer duas vezes! Winning at home is winning twice! #TáemcasaLyoto #MyArena #PressLyoto pic.twitter.com/lougysORNX
— Lyoto Machida (@lyotomachidafw) December 21, 2014
A few more months of work and the result is there. Thank God for allowing all this.
Now, I in search of my belt! I’ll bring him back to Brazil !!
Mais alguns meses de trabalho e está aí o resultado. Obrigado Deus por permitir tudo isso. Agora,… http://t.co/qliwS1Sl2A
— Renan Barão (@RenanBaraoUFC) December 21, 2014
Whew! What a night @ufc Thanx to everyone back home cheering me on Much respect to @acjr_sapato great fight & great guy too Obrigado Baruer!
— Patrick Cummins (@OfficialDurkin) December 21, 2014
Had a decent performance at UFC last night. I want to thank my sponsor Torque. Great guys to deal with. pic.twitter.com/J36ADvFGgc
— Rashid Magomedov (@RashidGorets) June 1, 2014
Pq toda a honra e toda glória é pra ti Senhor…. http://t.co/9slrMardxw
— Erick Silva (@ErickSilvaMMA) December 21, 2014
Pra quem não viu o quer rever. http://t.co/EBCF1OB9jl
— Marcos Pezão (@pezao011) December 21, 2014
Acabei de publicar uma foto http://t.co/3AGbhQSVas
— Hacran Dias (@Hacrandias) December 21, 2014
A felicidade não está cabendo de tão grande.. Obrigado Meus amigos! http://t.co/6HXq9MY2pg
— Vitor Miranda (@Vithai) December 21, 2014
Better luck next time.
Thank you. http://t.co/a4XAPOyHX5
— CB Dollaway (@cbdollaway) December 21, 2014
The defeat is part of our life, not ashamed because I lost, just gave me more strength to get me improve every day more! I’m fine, happy and grateful for the support, love and solidarity which are all having me, and also thank all who believe in my work! Congratulations to Rashid Magomedov for his victory !!! #arsenalcar #underarmourbrasil
A derrota faz parte na nossa vida, não tenho vergonha porque perdi, apenas me deu mais força para… http://t.co/KblInw6q79
— Elias Silvério (@eliasxuxumma) December 21, 2014
I’m sorry! Dumb mistakes costed me something I worked so hard and sacrificed for! Pulled for a fucking guillotine I know better than that
— Michael (@TeamRocBiggie) December 21, 2014
Congrats @pezao011 on a win last night at his home town crowed @TheUFCDay @ufc @UFCFightPass @AmericanTopTeam
— Igor Pokrajac UFC (@igorpokrajac) December 21, 2014
The cold was back to ride in a hexagon. Thank you all for your support !!!
Kylmät oli taas kyydit kasikulmiossa. Kiitos kaikille tuesta!!!
— Tom Niinimäki (@Stonefacemma) December 21, 2014
You better believe I’m learning from this experience & going to come back better then ever @ufc. Hats off to @Vithai He truly is a great guy
— Jake Collier (@Jakecollier88) December 21, 2014
Maybe next year.
I appreciate the curiosity about my absence from these ‘Sport Awards’. Credit with RTE however, is not what I… http://t.co/21cqccl1Hr
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 21, 2014
Buddies.
@Rampage4real WOOOW!!!! Didn’t see that one coming!
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) December 21, 2014
🙂
— Dana White (@danawhite) December 21, 2014
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) December 21, 2014
Cro Cop is starting an online academy.
Me too.
Me too 🙂 RT @PhoKingQui: @ufc @danawhite I’m so pumped for the @lyotomachidafw vs @LukeRockhold fight I can’t even speak right now!
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) December 21, 2014
I can see it now! RT @arielhelwani: Time is ticking but imagine doing Machida-Rockhold at 184 along with Weidman-Belfort and Jacare-Romero?
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) December 21, 2014
Never forget.
Btw yes I remember what those body kicks feel like. Machida is a great!
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) December 21, 2014
Interesting.
Well its that time, I realize I’m too small for 145, next @TitanFighting fight im ready for 135 @MMAjunkie @MMAFighting @MMAWeeklycom
— Steven Siler (@Stevesiler) December 22, 2014
I get it.
What did you say ??!!! #Frosty #fightingwords http://t.co/xSV5znu727
— Chuck Liddell (@ChuckLiddell) December 22, 2014
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced this weekend (Dec. 19-21 2014)
Rashad Evans vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night: Evans vs. Teixeira
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via MMAtylander.
The UFC vs The Field: Who Can Challenge the UFC After a Disasterous 2014?
The UFC will easily survive a testing and disappointing 2014, but did they leave the door open just enough for a competitor to kick it in?
2014 has been a miserable year for the UFC in almost every way imaginable. In fact, it has been worse than miserable; it has been borderline disastrous and very likely one of their worst years of the past decade. It just seemed as if anything the UFC attempted to achieve in the past 12 months was either a total failure or noticeably tainted in one fashion or another.
Injuries, of course, are always a critical concern for the UFC and their bottom line, but this year was notably brutal. especially with the absence of Anderson Silva and GSP, two of the UFC’s all-time top draws. Several highly anticipated main events were forced onto the scrap heap due to injured champions, including, but not limited to, scheduled bouts between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum, and Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes. The latter actually forced the cancellation of the entire UFC 176 event, adding it to the list of “Ghost Events” joining 2013’s UFC 151.
…
Check out the rest of the post here.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.