Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has reportedly agreed to a two-fight contract with Bellator.
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported the news Tuesday. Jackson last appeared in the Octagon at UFC 186 in April 2015, where he defeated Fabio Maldonado by unanimous decision. Rampage did notch three straight Bellator victories prior to his UFC return.
The 37-year-old’s reversion to Bellator came after he came to a settlement with the company after the two sides had battled a lawsuit for approximately a year.
Jackson claimed his contract was breached when Bellator didn’t provide him with the proper pay-per-view information promptly enough following his triumph over Muhammed Lawal in May 2013.
Since he felt like his contract was violated, Jackson fled back to the UFC, but Bellator saw that as a violation of its original contract with the MMA veteran. What was a tricky situation for both sides has been resolved now.
Ben Fowlkes of USA Today wondered whether the fresh contract will indeed be the end of the Bellator-Rampage spat:
Nevertheless, this new deal has to be a relief for Jackson, who was essentially in limbo at a late juncture of his career while he waited for a lawsuit ruling.
Although Jackson’s next fight has yet to be determined, the MMAFighting.com report indicated it will be announced sometime later this year. The report also states the UFC knows of Jackson’s renewed agreement with Bellator and won’t interfere.
So “Rampage” has at least two more bouts to go before retirement, a move he was almost resigned to as the legal battle between him and Bellator dragged on.
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