Octagon icon Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson plans on completing his pentalogy with former PRIDE FC and UFC foe Wanderlei Silva.
After more than four years since his last appearance inside the cage, Jackson will debut in the squared circle when he straps on the eight-ounce gloves for a clash with former WBO heavyweight world champion Shannon Briggs. The fight will emanate from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 1.
Appearing on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, ‘Rampage’ revealed that his long-awaited clash with Briggs likely won’t be the only time we see him step inside the boxing ring.
“After that, I want a rematch with Rashad [Evans] in a boxing match because I feel like he likes to wrestle a little bit too much,” Jackson said. I think we can throw them things, and then after Rashad, I think I’m gonna call out Wanderlei Silva for the rubber match.
Will We See ‘Rampage’ and Wanderlei Silva Reignite Iconic Rivalry?
‘Rampage’ and Wanderlei Silva engaged in one of mixed martial arts’ most memorable feuds. Over the course of 15 years, the two titans of combat sports went toe-to-toe four times across three different promotions. They first met under the PRIDE banner where ‘The Axe Murderer’ earned victories over Jackson via knockout in November 2003 and October 2004.
They would meet up once again inside the Octagon at UFC 92 in 2008. This time, ‘Rampage’ came out on top via a first-round KO. Fast forward another 11 years, Jackson would officially even the series at 2-2 with another knockout of Silva at Bellator 206. It was the last MMA fight of Silva’s career.
Silva officially announced his retirement in 2022 but has expressed an interest in boxing. Perhaps we’ll see the beloved knockout artists throw hands one more time, putting an exclamation point on their iconic rivalry.