Jackson and Rua’s upcoming meeting will be a rematch of their PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 fight, which Shogun won by vicious first-round knockout. Jackson has lobbied for a rematch ever since, and Rua recently expressed interest in the matchup as well. Rua most recently competed at UFC 139, losing a decision to Dan Henderson in what was widely considered to be the 2011 Fight of the Year, while Jackson is riding the first two-fight losing streak of his career, with losses to Jon Jones and Ryan Bader.
After the jump: The full fight video of Rampage vs. Shogun 1.
Jackson and Rua’s upcoming meeting will be a rematch of their PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 fight, which Shogun won by vicious first-round knockout. Jackson has lobbied for a rematch ever since, and Rua recently expressed interest in the matchup as well. Rua most recently competed at UFC 139, losing a decision to Dan Henderson in what was widely considered to be the 2011 Fight of the Year, while Jackson is riding the first two-fight losing streak of his career, with losses to Jon Jones and Ryan Bader.
After the jump: The full fight video of Rampage vs. Shogun 1.
After some frustratedtweeting over the last week, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took his anti-UFC campaign to Inside MMA, telling Bas Rutten that he wants to part ways with the promotion due to the way he’s been treated. Plus, Joe Silva needs to get slapped in his smart little mouth. You can listen to the full interview at the end of this post. Here are some highlights…
On the fans and his soon-to-be-ex-employers: “I don’t want to fight for the UFC no more. I think the fans don’t understand. They think that just because I make a lot of money, I should be happy because I’ve got a nice house. I’ve always stated that I fight for money because it’s my career, but I think a lot of fans are sheep, and they don’t understand…I wish I didn’t have one more fight for [the UFC]. I’m trying to get out of this one fight…In my opinion, I think they’re trying to make me lose my fanbase. Because they don’t want me to be bigger than the UFC, because the movie I did was bigger than the UFC…I don’t want to be part of the UFC. If Dana doesn’t want me to be bigger than the UFC, then let me go.”
On disrespect: “After my fight with Jon Jones they told my manager that I was losing my appeal — that rappers don’t come and watch me fight no more, that the fans really don’t like me no more. Cause it was getting close to time for me to renegotiate and PRIDE did the same thing to me. To me my respect is more than money so I’ll go fight for some other show for free and I’ll prove it to fans that I’m not all about money.”
After some frustratedtweeting over the last week, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took his anti-UFC campaign to Inside MMA, telling Bas Rutten that he wants to part ways with the promotion due to the way he’s been treated. Plus, Joe Silva needs to get slapped in his smart little mouth. You can listen to the full interview at the end of this post. Here are some highlights…
On the fans and his soon-to-be-ex-employers: “I don’t want to fight for the UFC no more. I think the fans don’t understand. They think that just because I make a lot of money, I should be happy because I’ve got a nice house. I’ve always stated that I fight for money because it’s my career, but I think a lot of fans are sheep, and they don’t understand…I wish I didn’t have one more fight for [the UFC]. I’m trying to get out of this one fight…In my opinion, I think they’re trying to make me lose my fanbase. Because they don’t want me to be bigger than the UFC, because the movie I did was bigger than the UFC…I don’t want to be part of the UFC. If Dana doesn’t want me to be bigger than the UFC, then let me go.”
On disrespect: “After my fight with Jon Jones they told my manager that I was losing my appeal — that rappers don’t come and watch me fight no more, that the fans really don’t like me no more. Cause it was getting close to time for me to renegotiate and PRIDE did the same thing to me. To me my respect is more than money so I’ll go fight for some other show for free and I’ll prove it to fans that I’m not all about money.”
On matchmaking: ”I think Joe Silva needs to be slapped in the face. I’m sorry, but if you’ve got a fighter like me who likes to go out and put on exciting fights why are you gonna keep giving me wrestlers who are gonna take me down and hump me?”
On how green the grass looks on the other side of the street: ”I’m gonna go to an organization that gives me a little clout…anywhere, as long as I’ve got a little clout and I can control it a little bit and the guys appreciate me for putting on a good show. Just say thank you at the end of the show. I don’t care if I make $500 again.”
But seriously, he should be getting paid more: ”The UFC talks about being in a billion homes. They’re making all this money. Yet I’m making less money than I used to make with the UFC. The UFC is getting bigger, which means I’m getting bigger, but I’m making less money. Why? So I just don’t want to be with them no more. Slavery is done. If anybody thinks that I can’t make my own career choices and stuff like that, then you’re a bigot. I can do whatever the hell I want to do. I’m a grown man. I don’t want to have to fight for somebody no more if they’re not really appreciating me.”
On British journalists and our country’s impossibly complicated health-care system: “I did an interview with this one guy, and he recorded it. I thought he was going to put it up just like you’re doing. But no, he took some of it and typed it, and the guy who typed it was a British guy. He didn’t understand my English. He didn’t understand my accent. He just typed some stuff that he thought I said, which is wrong. I think they tried to say that I had like a UFC doctor give it to me or something like that, which is wrong. I had my personal doctor. He gets paid by the UFC. He’s my personal doctor, but I don’t have to pay him. ‘He just sends the bill’ to UFC basically is what I said. So that’s why I said the UFC knew I was hurt. I don’t know if the UFC knew what I was doing. But the UFC paid (for) me to see him. He sent me to another doctor. The doctor that he sent me to, I pay him. The UFC doesn’t pay the doctor who did the TRT. I pay that TRT. But the doctor who takes care of me, the UFC pays him.”
A million arigatos to our friends at TerezOwens for sending us actual footage of the rap concert that Quinton Jackson did in Tokyo immediately following his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. We can’t tell if this clip is an excerpt from Rampage’s new “doggy style” tribute, but either way, the lyrics are $kala-caliber. FYI, the performance went down at a club called Vanity in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. (As in, “vanity project.” As in, “My God this vanity project.”) Allow us to half-assedly transcribe:
Rampage: Get on sowaggichain Get down with Rampage We party like we paid Move! Yo ass, like you wanna get laid Now shake it, *you* shake it I wanna see that ass butt-naked
Rampage’s Asian hype-man: Yo, whassup? Everybody get down on the floor wuhsay HALT! Sup?
New York [Ed. note: You’re in Tokyo, idiot.]
The video was uploaded to the YouTube account ShuHirata1968; Hirata is like the Ed Soares of Japan, and he always seems to have his video camera with him. For example, here’s another recent clip from Shu’s account that made us even more uncomfortable than Rampage’s rap show…
A million arigatos to our friends at TerezOwens for sending us actual footage of the rap concert that Quinton Jackson did in Tokyo immediately following his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. We can’t tell if this clip is an excerpt from Rampage’s new “doggy style” tribute, but either way, the lyrics are $kala-caliber. FYI, the performance went down at a club called Vanity in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. (As in, “vanity project.” As in, “My God this vanity project.”) Allow us to half-assedly transcribe:
Rampage: Get on sowaggichain Get down with Rampage We party like we paid Move! Yo ass, like you wanna get laid Now shake it, *you* shake it I wanna see that ass butt-naked
Rampage’s Asian hype-man: Yo, whassup? Everybody get down on the floor wuhsay HALT! Sup?
New York [Ed. note: You’re in Tokyo, idiot.]
The video was uploaded to the YouTube account ShuHirata1968; Hirata is like the Ed Soares of Japan, and he always seems to have his video camera with him. For example, here’s another recent clip from Shu’s account that made us even more uncomfortable than Rampage’s rap show…
That’s UFC “babysitter to the stars” Burt Watson, by the way. As the video description puts it, “Burt Watson and we went out to the hostess bar in Roppongi!! ”
When he took to his Twitter page earlier this week to blast the UFC, many of us assumed he was just venting after a difficult loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. Well, Rampage is still venting, except now he’s asking for his release from the UFC. In a bizarre twist to an already strange situation, Rampage blames the UFC for the reason he’s lost his desire to fight. And he implies that the desire to keep fighting will somehow come back to him once he walks away from the biggest stage in MMA.
And if you thought that that was strange, consider his next two tweets, both of which in response to fans’ reactions to his initial announcement:
When he took to his Twitter page earlier this week to blast the UFC, many of us assumed he was just venting after a difficult loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. Well, Rampage is still venting, except now he’s asking for his release from the UFC. In a bizarre twist to an already strange situation, Rampage blames the UFC for the reason he’s lost his desire to fight. And he implies that the desire to keep fighting will somehow come back to him once he walks away from the biggest stage in MMA.
And if you thought that that was strange, consider his next two tweets, both of which in response to fans’ reactions to his initial announcement:
If by “better” we mean “more winnable”, then sure. Rampage could certainly smash lesser competition with a lot less resistance than he’s facing in the UFC. But in terms of interesting fights that fans will pay to watch, don’t bother looking for them.
Not that it matters- If Rampage thinks the UFC is cheap, just wait until he sees what the minor league promotions offer their fighters.
– “I will fight who ever they put n front of me,I always have,but it will b my last fight n the ufc,I have other things on my mind”
– “I didn’t say I would b done fighting,I just said I’m not fighting 4 the UFC,(u fight cheap)I said I have other things on my mind (big head)”
– “@VWAssassin: @Rampage4real your leaving the UFC?” Y should I stay? I don’t need them or anybody else negative dealing with my carrie”
– “@DrjftGaming: @Rampage4real Will you still do MMA, or is this your last MMA fight period?” Guys learn how 2 read! MMA ok UFC no ok after”
– “Sorry guys just been going threw a lot n I was trying 2 stay positive last night,n it worked,so I’m just gonna start over! U helped me!”
– “I know 1 place I’m not going back 2! I’m going 2 b with my wife n kids n sin no more! Just ask 4 forgiveness! #new I’d win this 1!”
– “I need help with positive energy once again,u can tell things aint right,u helped me last night! I love u all,wish I could say what’s up”
Are we looking at the early stages of another post-loss crackup? That last tweet — sent at 5:40 a.m. PT — suggests that ‘Page may be dealing with some issues beyond a money dispute with the UFC. (Although really, mocking the UFC as “u fight cheap” is never a good idea, especially when you’re one of the promotion’s highest paid stars.) And “sin no more”? Oh boy. When Rampage starts to get all religious, it’s probably a good idea to stay off the roads for a while. If Jackson doesn’t fall in line quick, the UFC might not even let him have one more fight before he jumps ship.
P.S.: “Guys learn how 2 read! MMA ok UFC no ok after” is an early front-runner for insane MMA tweet of the year.
(This is what he means by “off-the-chain doggy-style.”)
I’m sorry, but there are times when you have to break your own ban. This is one of those times. In a new interview with Fighters Only, Quinton Jackson discusses how testosterone replacement therapy turned his life around, though it caused him to gain a bunch of water weight that contributed to his UFC 144 scale-fail. And then he dropped this bit of info (via Fightlinker):
“I’m in a studio — you know I make music as a hobby — I am in the studio right now with my friend who produced all my tracks. We made a big hit actually, people will be really surprised when I release this because I have been making music for like six or seven years but never released anything. Now I am finally comfortable to actually release something. I was depressed yesterday but then we made this hit last night and it immediately cheered me up because normally I make music just for a hobby, I never release it, its just for me to enjoy. But this song cheered me up in my hard times right now and I think my fans can get some enjoyment out of it. It cheered me up if they don’t like it I don’t give a fuck. I’m the king of doggy style.”
No arguments there. But how does hormone replacement therapy figure into this story? Well…
(This is what he means by “off-the-chain doggy-style.”)
I’m sorry, but there are times when you have to break your own ban. This is one of those times. In a new interview with Fighters Only, Quinton Jackson discusses how testosterone replacement therapy turned his life around, though it caused him to gain a bunch of water weight that contributed to his UFC 144 scale-fail. And then he dropped this bit of info (via Fightlinker):
“I’m in a studio — you know I make music as a hobby — I am in the studio right now with my friend who produced all my tracks. We made a big hit actually, people will be really surprised when I release this because I have been making music for like six or seven years but never released anything. Now I am finally comfortable to actually release something. I was depressed yesterday but then we made this hit last night and it immediately cheered me up because normally I make music just for a hobby, I never release it, its just for me to enjoy. But this song cheered me up in my hard times right now and I think my fans can get some enjoyment out of it. It cheered me up if they don’t like it I don’t give a fuck. I’m the king of doggy style.”
No arguments there. But how does hormone replacement therapy figure into this story? Well…
“[T]his was my first time ever using testosterone. I took what the doctor prescribed to me and I went to the pharmacy…I gave myself small doses and that shit immediately changed me, that’s why I am saying now I am not going to retire. I am not gonna retire no time soon, its just unfortunate that I got this injury. I started hitting it up pretty good, I still gotta take care of my knee but I feel like a 25 year old again. My sex life changed, I was back to five times a night like when I was 25, straight up…
I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong. Its legal and I am not abusing it and I am not going over certain levels. From what I learned about it, when I got tested my levels my levels were really low and the doctor was telling me that athletes can burn testosterone. Sure enough I did it like a week or two and, I couldn’t train but…that’s why I did this song about doggy style! My doggy style was buck wild man I’m telling you.”
Hear that, kids? TRT will make you a musical genius. And believe it or not, Rampage actually performed his music in Tokyo after his fight with Ryan Bader:
“Because I’ve been rapping and stuff for a while and I am putting together this album that I’ve been working on for a while and the producer is really serious about the music; to me its just a hobby but he is really serious so he scheduled something for me to do like a concert in one of the biggest clubs in Roppongi [nightclub district]. Me and my friend who taught me how to rap like six or seven years ago. A lot of American fans won’t know that I nearly had a record deal with Pride, the company that ran Pride was called DreamStage and they did fights, movies and music…It’s my life and my career and I want to have fun and entertain people.
So yeah I did a concert same night, it didn’t affect my mentality one bit. Win or lose I still want to enjoy myself because my job is done. I didn’t bail out because I lost, I think that’s a pussy move. I enjoyed myself, I had my champagne and I put on a show. They were so surprised I could rap. I entertained them twice in one night in two different ways. Now a Japanese company wants to…well I’m not going to say yet. But I am getting offers from Japan because of that concert and so it was a win out of my loss.”
Just from his description, Rampage’s new music sounds like it’ll be a cross between prime 2 Live Crew and Sapp Time. The album will be called “A.L.F.A. (Appreciate Large Female Asses),” and the new single “Doggy Style” will feature cameo appearances by Too $hort and Arianny Celeste in a non-singing role.
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