The second time could be the charm if Quinton “Rampage” Jackson gets his way.
Despite losing to Jon Jones at UFC 135, the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s determination hasn’t wavered.
He still believes he’ll be champion again someday, regardless of who’s holding the title.
In a special blog for Yahoo! Sports, Jackson talks about the loss to Jones, his return to Japan and his upcoming bout against Ryan Bader.
“I still think I can win my title back, and I still think I can even win it back from Jon Jones, but I would have to execute the game plan. Jones was very good on the night. He did what he had to with his style and stopped me doing what I needed to do. Respect to him.”
Jackson, who has been criticized in the past for a lack of motivation, poured his heart and pocket into training for the Jones bout. It’s rumored the former Pride star spent a whopping $1 million on his training camp for the bout.
Unfortunately, none of it was enough to deter Jones, who is easily one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
“I worked so hard for the Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the octagon, I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I feel bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight. I still want my belt back. I will always think of that belt as mine, even when I’m an old, bald wrinkled ass man. I’m very, very proud of unifying that UFC belt with the Pride belt, and for that reason, a little bit of me will always think of that belt as belonging to me.”
Jackson wasn’t able to come away with the win, but he should at least be able to take a moral victory away from the experience. Jones has virtually destroyed every light heavyweight in his path, but out of the fallen, Jackson, who was submitted by Jones in the fourth round, managed to survive the longest.
A rematch against Jones could be in Jackson’s future, but it would be unwise to look past Bader, a former top-10 light heavyweight. Jackson and Bader are slated to do battle at UFC 144 on February 26 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
“Nothin’ is promised to no one. I should beat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan next Saturday––and I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans––but I’ve put in the work in the gym to make sure I do that. I get to fight in Japan for the first time in six years. It’s no secret I love Japan. Japan is where I became an MMA fighter. It is where I made a name for myself and learned how to kick ass. The fans there are so respectful. I can’t wait to perform for them again. I really, really want a sick knockout for them, and maybe even I’ll do my powerbomb if Bader is dumb enough to give me the chance.”
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