With Contract Fight Brewing, Rampage Jackson Not Worth the Trouble for UFC

Perhaps there was a time when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was worth the hassle.
Maybe back in 2007—when he entered the UFC with three straight victories and won the light heavyweight championship from Chuck Liddell—it was possible…

Perhaps there was a time when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was worth the hassle.

Maybe back in 2007—when he entered the UFC with three straight victories and won the light heavyweight championship from Chuck Liddell—it was possible to block out all his background noise.

But those days are long gone now.

Considering his advanced age and considerable baggage (warning: language NSFW), picking a fight over the 2015 version of Rampage Jackson just feels like a lot of trouble the embattled UFC doesn’t need at the moment.

It certainly struck a very weird note on Saturday when the organization breathlessly announced Jackson’s return. It was less than two years ago, after all, that the notoriously disgruntled fighter left the UFC amid scorched earth and hard feelings and, as of right now, we don’t even know if he’s legally allowed to come back.

Rampage contends he’s terminated his relationship with Bellator MMA after the smaller company failed to live up to the terms of their contractual agreement. But Bellator CEO Scott Coker says not so fast, and a court battle now appears in the offing.

Then there was the timing.

Just a week ago, three current and former UFC fighters filed a class-action lawsuit charging the world’s largest MMA promotion with, among other things, “an illegal scheme to eliminate competition from would-be rival MMA Promoters.” For the UFC to grab Jackson and publicly trumpet his homecoming all while Bellator claims to still have him under contract was sort of disquieting. 

Nonetheless, everybody managed to keep a straight face over the weekend. The UFC gave Jackson a welcome-back video package and an interview spot on Fox Sports 1 while mostly ignoring the fact it’ll probably take legal action to actually get him back in the Octagon.

“You have no idea how excited I am to come back,” Jackson said on TV that night. “This is where I belong.”

Maybe, though a judge might still have the last word on that.

In any case, it’s down to this: Rival MMA organizations now appear headed to court to win the services of a guy who, at one time or another, made it clear he disliked both of them.

The whole thing leaves a whiff of desperation on the air, doesn’t it? Both for the UFC to commit time and resources to disentangling him from Bellator, and Bellator for even wanting to keep him.

If Jackson were a hot 23-year-old prospect or potential title challenger, you could understand the interest. If he could even be relied upon to consistently turn in high-level performances against top talent, it might be justifiable.

It should be noted, however, that even when the Rampage Jackson business was firing on all cylinders, it wasn’t the easiest hustle in town. Just 14 months after he beat Liddell to claim the title, he lost the championship to Forrest Griffin and a week later was arrested after a high-speed chase with California police.

Since then, the bad news has been frequent, and the wins somewhat less so.

At this point, he’s just a 36-year-old veteran who was 4-5 during his last handful of years in the UFC, including an 0-3 stretch to finish his first tenure there. Even his wins weren’t that impressive, as he chalked W’s over Matt Hamill, Keith Jardine, a flagging Wanderlei Silva and Lyoto Machida, the last in a decision some people thought could’ve gone the other way.

During 2013-14, Bellator rehabilitated his image a bit, serving up a couple of softball matchups and then another controversial decision victory over Muhammad Lawal.

Still, this is a man who clearly ain’t what he used to be.

But for much of the last year, the UFC has looked like it needed all the help it could get at the box office, and it’s now pulling out all the stops. Despite an avalanche of stellar fights already planned to open 2015, it thinks it needs even more help. It needs recognizable names, and perhaps that’s the last thing Jackson can still provide.

If the ratings Bellator pulled last month letting Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar duff around the cage for 15 minutes are any indication, there is still a sizable crowd of fight fans eager to watch the fading stars of yesteryear. Jackson should neatly fill that niche and maybe even succeed in propping up pay-per-view buy rates and television ratings for a fight or two.

But the run will be short, and it will no doubt end in flames.

Knowing the bother it will take to even make it happen, it hardly seems worth it.

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Crazy Enough to Be True: Ten Wild MMA Predictions for 2015


(Heading into 2015, these are the two most famous people associated with MMA. I’ve got nothing snarky to add to that.)

By Seth Falvo

With yet another year coming to an end, CagePotato.com is reviving an old holiday tradition: MMA predictions for the upcoming year that are so wild and outrageous that some of them might actually come to fruition. If you’re looking to read statements along the lines of “JOSE ALDO REMAINS DOMINANT AT FEATHERWEIGHT YOU GUYZZZ,” kindly move along; there are plenty of other two-bit MMA writers “brave” enough to state such obvious things for you. Still here? Then let’s grab some eggnog and see what 2015 has in store for us.

1. CM Punk‘s First UFC Opponent Won’t Even Have a Sherdog Profile When the Fight Is First Announced.

Look, the last thing that I want to do is get all high and mighty about the UFC’s decision to sign CM Punk; the UFC is a sports entertainment company, so why wouldn’t they sign the hottest free agent in sports entertainment? But at the same time, Punk’s qualifications to fight in the major leagues are non-existent. We’re dealing with a guy who, up to this point, has dabbled in jiu-jitsu and sparred a few times. Forget a UFC-caliber fighter — most people can’t even beat an experienced amateur fighter after less than a year of serious training. So let’s not even joke about whether or not CM Punk’s first UFC opponent will have his own Wikipedia page, because he obviously won’t. If the UFC expects any sane athletic commission to sanction a bout featuring Punk, they’re going to have to find somebody so obscure that not even the folks at Sherdog will know who he is.

2. A Member of the Official UFC Rankings Committee Is Accused of Partaking in a “Pay for Rankings” Scandal.


(Heading into 2015, these are the two most famous people associated with MMA. I’ve got nothing snarky to add to that.)

By Seth Falvo

With yet another year coming to an end, CagePotato.com is reviving an old holiday tradition: MMA predictions for the upcoming year that are so wild and outrageous that some of them might actually come to fruition. If you’re looking to read statements along the lines of “JOSE ALDO REMAINS DOMINANT AT FEATHERWEIGHT YOU GUYZZZ,” kindly move along; there are plenty of other two-bit MMA writers “brave” enough to state such obvious things for you. Still here? Then let’s grab some eggnog and see what 2015 has in store for us.

1. CM Punk‘s First UFC Opponent Won’t Even Have a Sherdog Profile When the Fight Is First Announced.

Look, the last thing that I want to do is get all high and mighty about the UFC’s decision to sign CM Punk; the UFC is a sports entertainment company, so why wouldn’t they sign the hottest free agent in sports entertainment? But at the same time, Punk’s qualifications to fight in the major leagues are non-existent. We’re dealing with a guy who, up to this point, has dabbled in jiu-jitsu and sparred a few times. Forget a UFC-caliber fighter — most people can’t even beat an experienced amateur fighter after less than a year of serious training. So let’s not even joke about whether or not CM Punk’s first UFC opponent will have his own Wikipedia page, because he obviously won’t. If the UFC expects any sane athletic commission to sanction a bout featuring Punk, they’re going to have to find somebody so obscure that not even the folks at Sherdog will know who he is.

2. A Member of the Official UFC Rankings Committee Is Accused of Partaking in a “Pay for Rankings” Scandal.

You know what really warms my heart? When people say things like “The UFC Rankings wouldn’t be so awful if the UFC got REAL JOURNALISTS” and “There’s no REAL JOURNALISM in MMA.” Completely lost on these people is that sports journalism is inherently fanboy writing designed to tell people what they want to believe and avoid hard-hitting topics, and that real journalists tend to cover real topics where they can make (comparatively) real money and not have to work second jobs. What, you didn’t think that the overwhelming majority of MMA writers cover this sport as their only sources of income, did you? Oh man, aren’t you just precious!

This is all to say that the moment the UFC announced how the official rankings will directly affect fighter pay, there likely was a manager who sent every member of the rankings panel an envelope full of cash and a convenient list of every fighter he manages. If that hasn’t already happened, it almost assuredly will once the new system actually kicks in next year.

3. A UFC Champion Sells The Right to Select His/Her Walkout Music.

We’ve seen independent music labels sponsor fighters before, sometimes with hilarious results. But I’m not necessarily talking about that: I’m saying that with even champions starting to wonder how their money is going to be affected by the UFC/Reebok deal, don’t be surprised to see one of them offer up the right to select his or her walkout music to the highest bidder in 2015. If you’re the person who ends up paying for the right to select a fighter’s entrance theme, I have one request: More “Badstreet, USA,” please.

4.) Brandon Vera Holds Belts in Two Different Weight Classes Simultaneously.

…I mean, it’s not like ONE FC has an overabundance of competition for him.

5.) Ben Askren: UFC Welterweight.

“But Seth,” you may be thinking, “Dana White says that Askren will never fight in the UFC!” To which I reply, well, great point. Women will never fight in the Octagon, Kimbo Slice will get killed in the UFC [Ed. Note: *sigh* Damn it, Houston…], and Phillipe Nover is GSP 2.0.

6.) A Fight-Fixing Scandal Rocks a Major MMA Organization.

So, Bellator is serious about bringing in professional wrestlers to act out dramatic storylines before what they assure us will be totally legitimate fights? Yeeeaaahhh…this may end poorly. For further reading and as to not take the obvious route and single out Bellator — please refer to “Why I Fixed Fights” by Charles Farrell and “You Have Probably Watched a Fixed Fight in the UFC” by Mike Fagan.

7.) Rampage Jackson Goes Full Filho Mid-Fight.

Or perhaps more accurately, Rampage Jackson will go full “Mitch ‘Blood’ Green against Bruce Johnson.” Rampage has apparently re-signed with the UFC — despite the fact that he did nothing but whine about how awful the UFC was when he was last with the promotion — although Bellator seems prepared to battle the UFC in court for the right to keep booking him. There is no winner here. If Bellator actually thinks they’re getting one more legitimate fight out of ‘Page, they’re hopelessly delusional. And if the UFC actually thinks that a guy with Jackson’s persecution complex isn’t going to cause trouble this time around, well, I’m not sue that the English language has a word for that. I can see Rampage — frustrated by his position with the only two MMA companies who can afford to bring him in — allowing his next fight devolve into a certified catastrophe.

8.) Tito Ortiz: Bellator Light-Heavyweight Champion.

TITO IS BACK, BABY! Okay, so that’s a gigantic stretch. But seeing how easily the aforementioned Rampage Jackson effortlessly dispose of former Bellator champion Christian M’Pumbu, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to watch Tito Ortiz take home the second-most valuable Light-Heavyweight Championship in MMA.

9.) Matt Riddle: Professional Wrestling Champion.

You remember Matt Riddle, right? TUF castmember, UFC welterweight, likeable stoner? The one with the longish hair and the mushroom tattoo? Yeah, he’s training to be a professional wrestler now. I see no reason why an indie wrestling organization won’t put a title around his waist in 2015.

And now, let’s bring everything full-circle and end with another Phil Brooks prediction:

10.) CM Punk Walks Out on the UFC.

The guy who walked out on the WWE over mistreatment from both the WWE and the professional wrestling fans who’ve never wrestled a day in their lives, yet think they know everything about being a wrestler. He then signs with the UFC, seemingly convinced that the UFC isn’t exploitative at all whatsoever and that MMA fans are the most respectful people alive. Well, Mr. Brooks, to borrow a quote from one of your former colleagues, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news…

Rampage Tells Scott Coker to “Shut Up,” Explains Why He Shredded Bellator Contract


(Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 2016, after he fights twice in the UFC, angrily leaves, and resigns with Bellator. / Photo via Getty)

The story of the weekend isn’t Lyoto Machida’s 61-second destruction of C.B. Dollaway, it’s the UFC’s signing of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The UFC announced Rampage’s return to the company during the UFC Fight Night 58 broadcast Saturday night, though rumors had circulated days before the official announcement.

The legal implications of the signing are more interesting than any of the in-cage ones since Scott Coker tweeted Rampage was still under contract to Bellator and that the promotion would protect its rights in court.

However, Rampage posted a statement to his website Sunday claiming he legally voided his contract with Bellator. Get it after the jump.


(Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 2016, after he fights twice in the UFC, complains about bad matchmaking and other (perhaps non-existent) slights, leaves, and re-signs with Bellator. / Photo via Getty)

The story of the weekend isn’t Lyoto Machida’s 61-second destruction of C.B. Dollaway, it’s the UFC’s signing of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The UFC announced Rampage’s return to the company during the UFC Fight Night 58 broadcast Saturday night, though rumors had circulated days before the official announcement.

The legal implications of the signing are more interesting than any of the in-cage ones since Scott Coker tweeted Rampage was still under contract to Bellator and that the promotion would protect its rights in court.

However, Rampage posted a statement to his website Sunday claiming he legally voided his contract with Bellator:

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.

Rampage posted a link to the statement in a tweet reading “Official statement on my UFC signing and what’s happening at RampageJackson.com (so Scott Coker can shut up).”

The ensuing legal battle is going to be more interesting than anything Rampage does in the Octagon, so stay tuned.

Rampage Jackson Returning to UFC: 3 Potential Opponents for Comeback Fight

After an ugly breakup, the UFC seems to have mended fences with former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. It’s surprising, it’s confusing, and it’s almost certainly going to be entertaining.
It remains unclear whether or not Jac…

After an ugly breakup, the UFC seems to have mended fences with former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. It’s surprising, it’s confusing, and it’s almost certainly going to be entertaining.

It remains unclear whether or not Jackson will be able to go back to the UFC freely. According to Jeff Sherwood and C.J. Tuttle of Sherdog.com, Bellator, a rival MMA promotion, claims it still has Jackson under contract. But assuming Jackson eventually is able to return to the UFC, who could he fight?

With plenty of name brand value, a championship pedigree and what will be a great deal of hype entering the promotion, he will have his pick of the litter. There are plenty of options for him. Here are a few.

 

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has won a lot of fights in his career22 to be exact. Few of them, however, were as impressive, as emphatic or as scary as his 2005 win over Rampage. A fight between two of the last men standing from the legendary Japanese promotion makes a fair bit of sense.

Given Rua‘s recent struggles and Jackson’s “I don’t care about the belt” approach to the game these days, they are largely in line for fun fights that are ultimately irrelevant to the title picture (but still fun). That makes this a strong, nostalgia-filled fight that would work nicely as a Fight Night main event or a UFC on Fox. It could also be a potential pay-per-view co-main event.

Granted, things could get a bit odd with the timing. Between Bellator‘s likelihood to get litigious over Rampage and Shogun’s commitment to coaching on the fourth The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, their schedules might just be on diverging paths. Either way, this would be a fun one.

 

Fabio Maldonado

While Fabio Maldonado does not qualify as an aging legend in the same vein as Rampage and Shogun, Maldonado is a fighter who has gained a bit of prominence in the division. While he is by no means a star and is not championship material, he is a safe bet to put on an exciting fight. That makes him a strong candidate to face Jackson.

Maldonado is actually on a four-fight winning streak at 205 pounds (with a heavyweight loss to Stipe Miocic thrown in, just to keep things honest) and currently owns a spot in the rankings. He is most certainly deserving of a name-brand opponent, and his fan-friendly style would mix well with Rampage.

These two would combine for a serious slugfest, and that is always welcome. While the fight itself lacks the drawing power of a matchup between Jackson and Rua, it would still be deserving of a spot near the top of any given card.

 

Roy Nelson

Ol‘ Rampage has never liked cutting weight. You can’t blame him, of course, but what that ultimately means is an occasional foray to heavyweight is a serious possibility. It is worth noting, too, that he has a pre-made grudge match waiting for him opposite Roy Nelson.

Jackson and Nelson have a history that dates back to The Ultimate Fighter 10, and there were actually gears turning to make this fight happen in Bellator in 2013. While it never came to fruition, a Jackson vs. Nelson fight remains an interesting possibility if the UFC is willing to afford Jackson that freedom.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Report: Rampage Jackson Signs With the UFC, But Is Still Under Contract at Bellator


(Photo via Getty)

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has returned to the UFC, according to a report from Sherdog.

Rampage had criticized the UFC and Dana White on multiple occasions after leaving the Zuffa-owned organization for Bellator.

Like with every single failed business relationship Rampage has ever been in, it started off amicably. Rampage even said he was “tongue kissing” with Bellator.


(Photo via Getty)

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has returned to the UFC, according to a report from Sherdog.

Rampage criticized the UFC and Dana White on multiple occasions after leaving the Zuffa-owned organization for Bellator.

Like with every single failed business relationship Rampage has ever been in, it started off amicably. Rampage even said he was “tongue kissing” with Bellator.

Things changed after Bjorn Rebney‘s departure from Bellator. Scott Coker became president, prompting Rampage to eventually tweet “sometimes u [sic] should just stay with the devil you know,” in reference to the UFC.

Clearly, Rampage wasn’t happy.

But there’s one problem: He’s still under contract to Bellator. The Sherdog report confirmed this. MMA journalist Josh Gross reached out to Coker, who said Rampage was still under contract.

Maybe we’re going to see a trade? After all, Bellator had their eyes on Wanderlei Silva recently.

If not, perhaps the UFC is going to be embroiled in yet another legal battle in the near future.

More updates as we get them.

Report: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson Signs Deal for UFC Return

Christmas may have come early for the UFC, as reports are surfacing that former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is possibly poised to return to his former home. The news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco on Twit…

Christmas may have come early for the UFC, as reports are surfacing that former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is possibly poised to return to his former home. The news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com’s Steven Marrocco on Twitter:

This move, if true, is a surprising turn for ‘Page. Jackson had one of the ugliest, most-bitter divorces in UFC history in 2013 when he left the promotion in a blaze of dirty laundry and allegations of the UFC shortchanging him on pay-per-view points. Shortly after losing to Glover Teixeira at UFC on Fox 6, he left the promotion and quickly signed a deal with Viacom, parent company of Spike TV, which included competing in Bellator MMA, making appearances on TNA Impact Wrestling and starring in a reality TV series.

While Jackson’s fling with the company was initially a lovefest, things got progressively rocky through 2014. He discussed footing the bill for his much-discussed double knee surgery. He had a big fallout with TNA. And he expressed his unhappiness with Spike TV’s takeover of Bellator headquarters.

However, things started to heat back up between Jackson and the UFC in November, when he expressed regrets about leaving the promotion. This led to some interesting sound bites from UFC President Dana White and Jackson’s surprise addition to the EA Sports UFC video game. 

While the once-icy relationship between the UFC and Jackson certainly seems to be thawing, it feels somewhat unlikely that Viacom will simply let one of its biggest stars walk away. Jackson has been a legitimate draw for Bellator, and his three-fight winning streak has given him renewed relevance in the light heavyweight division. Bellator’s new head honcho, Scott Coker, stated that he expects Jackson to rejoin the company after sorting out some personal and professional matters.

The details of his contract are unknown, so it is anyone’s guess what may come of this. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com