Tag: Rampage Jackson

UFC 130 Live Blog: Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill Updates

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Rampage Jackson faces Matt Hamill at UFC 130.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 130 live blog for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt Hamill, the main event of tonight’s pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Jackson (31-8, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a split decision win over fellow former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 in November. Hamill (10-2, 9-2 UFC) has won five straight – including a controversial disqualification win over current champion Jon Jones in December 2009.

A win by Jackson could put him next in line to face Jones for the 205-pound title later this fall.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: They meet in the middle for instructions. They touch gloves. The MGM Grand reports Rampage closed as a -250 favorite to Hamill’s +200 underdog. Hamill kicks first. Rampage stays outside. Hamill throws a high kick. Hamill shoots 30 seconds in, but Rampage defends well and throws a combo to push him back. Rampage now in the center. Straight left jab from Hamill misses. High kick from Hamill misses. Rampage stalks, then lands a tight right uppercut. Right kick from Hamill is checked by Rampage, and Hamill fakes a teep to try and keep some distance. Right-left from Hamill, then a kick that Rampage tries to counter off of. Rampage nearly lands a big uppercut. Two rights from Hamill are followed by two frights from Rampage. Hamill then shoots again, but Rampage defends it with a knee to the body. Hamill goes low for a takedown, but it’s again not there. Rampage opens up a little with a right-left-right combo. Left jab from Hamill pushes Rampage back, and he misses a follow-up right. Hamill again has nothing in the form of a takedown, and Rampage gets a little offense on the break. With 25 seconds left, he has Hamill possibly hurt and backing up. Rampage seemed to control things a little more and the late flurry helped give him a 10-9 round on our card.

Round 2: High kick from Hamill opens things up, but Rampage has none of it and counters with enough to back Hamill up. Another sort-of shot from Hamill does nothing but lead to a clinch, and Rampage pushes him against the fence. Rampage throws a knee that lands to the body. Then another as he defends Hamill’s desire for a takedown. Another awkward-looking shot from Hamill leads to more Rampage offense, and he nearly lands a huge knee to the chin. They tie up briefly, then break. The crowd grows quite restless on a night that has seen just one submission and two knockouts. They dance and feint and paw jabs for a minute with little real activity. Hamill goes in again for a takedown, but Rampage again defends. A right-left-right from Rampage is the best offense of the fight so far, but Hamill doesn’t go down. Rampage follows with a big shot to the body as time winds down in the frame. MMA Fighting gives the second to Rampage, 10-9.

Round 3: Quick start with a left from Rampage. Hamill has to believe he needs to finish the fight to get a victory. He shoots, but again Rampage defends on his feet. The two trade knees and tie up. Again, the crowd grows restless. Rampage throws a left that Hamill blocks, but lands a right to the body. Hamill then ties things up on the fence as the crowd again boos. Halfway through the round, they break. Hamill misses a jab. But Rampage lands a nice left that seems to wobble Hamill for a moment. Hamill seems tired. He thinks he catches a low blow, but Herb Dean doesn’t give him the stop. The crowd really boos now as Hamill throws a lazy punch. Rampage ties him up along the cage now with a minute left. They trade positions. Not much happening until Rampage throws a small late flurry, but it doesn’t put Hamill down. Hamill takes a knee, and a great big beer comes flying to the cage, landing on the photographers. It’s another 10-9 round for Rampage, and MMA Fighting gives him the fight 30-27.

Result: Rampage Jackson def. Matt Hamill, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

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Rampage Jackson faces Matt Hamill at UFC 130.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 130 live blog for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt Hamill, the main event of tonight’s pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Jackson (31-8, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a split decision win over fellow former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 in November. Hamill (10-2, 9-2 UFC) has won five straight – including a controversial disqualification win over current champion Jon Jones in December 2009.

A win by Jackson could put him next in line to face Jones for the 205-pound title later this fall.

The live blog is below.


Round 1: They meet in the middle for instructions. They touch gloves. The MGM Grand reports Rampage closed as a -250 favorite to Hamill’s +200 underdog. Hamill kicks first. Rampage stays outside. Hamill throws a high kick. Hamill shoots 30 seconds in, but Rampage defends well and throws a combo to push him back. Rampage now in the center. Straight left jab from Hamill misses. High kick from Hamill misses. Rampage stalks, then lands a tight right uppercut. Right kick from Hamill is checked by Rampage, and Hamill fakes a teep to try and keep some distance. Right-left from Hamill, then a kick that Rampage tries to counter off of. Rampage nearly lands a big uppercut. Two rights from Hamill are followed by two frights from Rampage. Hamill then shoots again, but Rampage defends it with a knee to the body. Hamill goes low for a takedown, but it’s again not there. Rampage opens up a little with a right-left-right combo. Left jab from Hamill pushes Rampage back, and he misses a follow-up right. Hamill again has nothing in the form of a takedown, and Rampage gets a little offense on the break. With 25 seconds left, he has Hamill possibly hurt and backing up. Rampage seemed to control things a little more and the late flurry helped give him a 10-9 round on our card.

Round 2: High kick from Hamill opens things up, but Rampage has none of it and counters with enough to back Hamill up. Another sort-of shot from Hamill does nothing but lead to a clinch, and Rampage pushes him against the fence. Rampage throws a knee that lands to the body. Then another as he defends Hamill’s desire for a takedown. Another awkward-looking shot from Hamill leads to more Rampage offense, and he nearly lands a huge knee to the chin. They tie up briefly, then break. The crowd grows quite restless on a night that has seen just one submission and two knockouts. They dance and feint and paw jabs for a minute with little real activity. Hamill goes in again for a takedown, but Rampage again defends. A right-left-right from Rampage is the best offense of the fight so far, but Hamill doesn’t go down. Rampage follows with a big shot to the body as time winds down in the frame. MMA Fighting gives the second to Rampage, 10-9.

Round 3: Quick start with a left from Rampage. Hamill has to believe he needs to finish the fight to get a victory. He shoots, but again Rampage defends on his feet. The two trade knees and tie up. Again, the crowd grows restless. Rampage throws a left that Hamill blocks, but lands a right to the body. Hamill then ties things up on the fence as the crowd again boos. Halfway through the round, they break. Hamill misses a jab. But Rampage lands a nice left that seems to wobble Hamill for a moment. Hamill seems tired. He thinks he catches a low blow, but Herb Dean doesn’t give him the stop. The crowd really boos now as Hamill throws a lazy punch. Rampage ties him up along the cage now with a minute left. They trade positions. Not much happening until Rampage throws a small late flurry, but it doesn’t put Hamill down. Hamill takes a knee, and a great big beer comes flying to the cage, landing on the photographers. It’s another 10-9 round for Rampage, and MMA Fighting gives him the fight 30-27.

Result: Rampage Jackson def. Matt Hamill, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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‘Career-Defining’ Moment for Matt Hamill vs. Rampage Jackson

Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS – Of all the fighters in the UFC’s reasonably stacked light heavyweight division, Matt Hamill is among the hottest.

And despite five straight wins, he doesn’t seem to mind being a little overlooked – for now. Sure, one of th…

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LAS VEGAS – Of all the fighters in the UFC’s reasonably stacked light heavyweight division, Matt Hamill is among the hottest.

And despite five straight wins, he doesn’t seem to mind being a little overlooked – for now. Sure, one of those wins was a disqualification victory against Jon Jones, Jones’ only loss, on a technicality in a fight he was dominating. But Hamill has been asking for the kind of fights that will move him from middle-of-the-pack fighter to top contender.

Against Quinton Jackson on Saturday in the main event of UFC 130, a win would quickly elevate him in the division. Jackson is a nearly 3/1 favorite, but that doesn’t bother Hamill (10-2, 9-2 UFC).

“I’ve probably been the underdog for the last five fights,” Hamill said at Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference at the MGM Grand. “I love to be the underdog.”

A closer look at Hamill’s history with the oddsmakers reveals that this is only the fourth time he’s been an underdog in the UFC – and the first three were against his Season 3 housemate on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin and Jon Jones. Along with Jackson, underdog status is understandable for all those fights.

But Hamill’s point is not lost – he’s kicked around in the middle of the division, and he’s ready to make the leap. Count UFC president Dana White as someone who has noticed.

“Obviously Rampage Jackson is one of the best in the world at 205 pounds,” White said. “This is a huge fight for Matt Hamill. He’s had some good wins – he beat (Keith) Jardine, (Mark) Munoz, Tito (Ortiz). A win over Rampage would be huge. This is one of those career-defining moments for Matt Hamill should he be able to pull off the win on Saturday night.”

Considering White also said a win by Rampage puts him “in the mix for a title shot,” a Hamill upset could disrupt a potential title fight between Jackson and Jones.

But Hamill last week alluded to the stair-step mentality he has taken in his career. His dominant unanimous decision win at UFC 121 last fall over Ortiz, his coach on Season 3 of TUF, is what he believes pushed him to the level that has him a shot against Jackson, a former light heavyweight champ, on Saturday.

“It’s going to help me improve my career,” Hamill said through his translator. “Beating Tito definitely put me in line to get some big fights like this, and I knew I was ready for the next level. I’m just really glad I’m here.”

It was a fight that Jackson initially didn’t want much to do with, and Hamill said he understood why and didn’t blame him – that Jackson should be taking on fighters in the Top 5. But when Hamill said his goal was to break Jackson’s will, Jackson emerged from the land of apathy and got into the fight.


“I think Matt made a mistake when he actually said that he’s going to break my will and that I’m going to overlook him,” Jackson said. “It actually lit a fire up under my ass and made me try a little bit harder just so I can break his will – so I can make sure I outclass him. That’s why I worked a lot on my wrestling, a lot extra on my cardio and extra on getting up off my back just in case he does take me down.”

That’s just where Hamill plans on taking the fight, saying he believes Jackson has become too reliant upon his standup game through the years and less focused on his wrestling. “That’s why I want him,” Hamill said.

Six straight wins in the light heavyweight division, a feat matched right now only by Phil Davis thanks to Jones’ DQ loss, would be enough to put the upper echelon of the class on notice. Forget questions about Jackson’s motivation for the fight. Hamill has his own motivation.

“I figured Rampage would be eying Rashad Evans or a rematch with Forrest Griffin or what have you,” Hamill said. “I thought that Rampage would believe that this match is not in his league. But it’s my next chance to prove that I am in his league.”

 

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Friday Afternoon Link Dump

(When did Rampage learn to kick? – Video courtesy of YouTube/TATAMETV)

– Bout Agreements Distributed to Hendo and Fedor (Sherdog)

– Brazilian Dude Does Soundtrack for Street Fighter II With His Mouth (TuVez)

– Made Babe: Arianny Celeste (MadeMan)

– Let’s Make This Clear: Urine is Not Perfume (HolyTaco)

– Bruce Leroy vs. Leonard Garcia targeted for UFC on Versus 5 (MMAJunkie)

– Laugh in the Face of Cancer With the 50/50 Trailer (ScreenJunkies)

– Noons vs. Masvidal fighting for shot at Melendez (MMAMania)

– The Best of Bulls-Heat Game 5 in Slo-Mo (ScoresReport)

– Spiffy Cat Kitten Profile: Ashton Taylor (SpiffyCats)

– Sportsbook says MMA has passed boxing on the Betting Front (CageWriter)

– FEG, DREAM ‘Sold’ to Investor; It’s Showtime Declares War (FightersOnlyMag)


(When did Rampage learn to kick? – Video courtesy of YouTube/TATAMETV)

– Bout Agreements Distributed to Hendo and Fedor (Sherdog)

– Brazilian Dude Does Soundtrack for Street Fighter II With His Mouth (TuVez)

– Made Babe: Arianny Celeste (MadeMan)

– Let’s Make This Clear: Urine is Not Perfume (HolyTaco)

– Bruce Leroy vs. Leonard Garcia targeted for UFC on Versus 5 (MMAJunkie)

– Laugh in the Face of Cancer With the 50/50 Trailer (ScreenJunkies)

– Noons vs. Masvidal fighting for shot at Melendez (MMAMania)

– The Best of Bulls-Heat Game 5 in Slo-Mo (ScoresReport)

– Spiffy Cat Kitten Profile: Ashton Taylor (SpiffyCats)

– Sportsbook says MMA has passed boxing on the Betting Front (CageWriter)

– FEG, DREAM ‘Sold’ to Investor; It’s Showtime Declares War (FightersOnlyMag)

UFC 130 Weigh-in Results

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS – The near-lovefest that has become UFC 130 came to a partial stop Friday at the official event weigh-ins at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Main event fighters Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill each weighed in at …

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LAS VEGAS – The near-lovefest that has become UFC 130 came to a partial stop Friday at the official event weigh-ins at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Main event fighters Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill each weighed in at 205 pounds for their bout, then engaged in the afternoon’s most intense staredown. It was a stark contrast to Wednesday’s press conference, where the two shared a couple light moments on stage even before their staredown photo op.

When the fight was booked, Jackson was vocal about not having much interest in the fight. But after Hamill said he planned to break the former light heavyweight champion’s will, Jackson took a new level of motivation. And Wednesday’s cordiality went out the window Friday in favor of a forehead-to-forehead showcase, Hamill’s hands up and Jackson’s at his sides.

Hamill told emcee Joe Rogan that the fight against Jackson will be the most important fight of his career.

“This is the biggest opportunity for me to help my career,” Hamill said. “I know from Day One he didn’t want to fight me, but I promise you one thing – it’s going to be a good fight.”

Jackson, who doesn’t have a knockout win since his UFC 92 victory over Wanderlei Silva, promised fans he’s looking for a finish against Hamill, and that Hamill’s comments about breaking his will got him amped up.

“It motivated me to train extra hard,” Jackson said. “I was already training hard ’cause it’s been a while since I knocked anyone out. But I’m ready to put on a show for you guys and get a knockout.”

Co-main event heavyweights Frank Mir and Roy Nelson, though, continued to be almost playful about their fight. The two Las Vegas residents, who share many mutual friends and sometimes train together, each weighed in at 260 pounds, and fought back smiles as they squared off.


Making his return to the UFC after an absence of four and a half years, Jorge Santiago, who most recently was Sengoku’s middleweight champion, weighed in at 185 on the nose for his middleweight fight with military hero Brian Stann. Stann was 186 on a Memorial Day weekend card that he has said will be emotional for him as a veteran. That bout opens Saturday’s pay-per-view.

And despite trouble making weight in the past, Thiago Alves weighed in at 170 pounds for his welterweight bout against Rick Story, who was also 170 and brings a five-fight winning streak into the event.

UFC 130 airs live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. Eastern on Saturday and is preceded by a pair of fights on Spike TV at 8 p.m. In addition, three preliminary card fights will air on Facebook at 6:20 p.m.

The official weigh-in results are below:

Main Card
Quinton Jackson (205) vs. Matt Hamill (205)
Frank Mir (260) vs. Roy Nelson (260)
Stefan Struve (255) vs. Travis Browne (247)
Thiago Alves (170) vs. Rick Story (170)
Brian Stann (186) vs. Jorge Santiago (185)
Spike TV Prelims
Miguel Torres (135.5) vs. Demetrious Johnson (135.5)
Kendall Grove (185) vs. Tim Boetsch (186)
Facebook Prelims
Gleison Tibau (155) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (155)
Michael McDonald (136) vs. Chris Cariaso (135)
Renan Barão (135) vs. Cole Escovedo (135)

 

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UFC 130 Main Event Breakdown: Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill

Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS — The UFC 130 main event match between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill was not supposed to be. Jackson didn’t want it, and it’s not so difficult to understand why. Hamill wanted it, and it’s obvious why. For one man…

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LAS VEGAS — The UFC 130 main event match between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill was not supposed to be. Jackson didn’t want it, and it’s not so difficult to understand why. Hamill wanted it, and it’s obvious why. For one man, there seemed to be plenty to lose with little potential upside, and for the other, it would be his first opportunity to show he belongs among the elite. That makes for one of the most classic storylines in sports, but will it make for a classic fight?

As it turns out, the stakes are much higher than originally anticipated. As reported on Wednesday, Jackson is likely fighting for a chance to compete for the championship later this year. What once seemed like a lose/lose situation for him is now bursting with opportunity.

And for Hamill, he not only has the chance to play spoiler, but also to inject himself into the title picture. A victory over Jackson would give him six straight while marking his most meaningful win.

A look at their styles show that Jackson and Hamill aren’t so different. Both began with wrestling as their dominant trait but have moved to a striking-heavy style. Both have heavy hands, and each has the ability to take the fight down when he wants to. Neither wants to all that often, though, which should mean this match is determined on the feet.

When it comes to the striking game, Jackson is more dynamic, though he sometimes holsters his kicks and relies on his formidable fists. Working with Muay Thai coach Lance Gibson, though, Jackson seems to be aware of the issue and in his last fight with Lyoto Machida, threw a higher ratio of kicks than he had in recent contests. According to Compustrike, of his standing strikes, about 19 percent were kicks, almost double his usual ratio.

A diverse Rampage is a dangerous Rampage, but really, a motivated Rampage is a dangerous Rampage. So is he motivated? While he made headlines over the last few weeks by saying he’s not overly excited to face Hamill, he seems to be in a good state of mind during fight week, fit and lean, smiling and joking. He’s even talked about winning to again win a championship, something he once said he didn’t care much about.

Jackson gets quite a bit of flack for saying things that are sometimes outlandish or controversial, but the fact of the matter is he’s still an elite fighter. Over his last 11 fights, he’s 9-2, with wins over former UFC and PRIDE champs like Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson. And neither of his losses has been overly one-sided. Rampage is just a hard fighter to beat, because even if he doesn’t come into the fight in optimal shape, he’s always going to have fight-changing power, making opponents leery of engaging him.

That’s borne out in the stats. A look at Compustrike numbers show that in standing arm strikes, Jackson has out-landed opponents 49 percent to 29 percent over his eight UFC bouts. Now, why is that? Jackson is not a fighter than runs away. He’s not super-elusive. But he’s not a guy you want to stand too close to. Even if you miss your punch, at least he might not hit you back with a counter.


So where can Hamill attack? While he has heavy hands, most would agree that Jackson’s are heavier, and faster. One place Jackson is quite susceptible is with kicks. Opponents land 67 percent while throwing three times as many kicks as he does. Problem? Hamill rarely throws kicks. In his 10 UFC fights, kicks make up just 7 percent of his standing strikes, a number far below the average of top-level fighters. Even Jackson, who many consider boxing-heavy, throws kicks 11.5 percent of the time.

Where else can Hamill win? Everyone knows about his wrestling background, and he’s connected on 71 percent of his takedown tries during his UFC career, a very good number. But Jackson is going to be no easy target. His opponents are only successful 36 percent of the time.

That leaves limited options for Hamill. If the fight stays standing, Jackson will likely have the edge. Hamill has said he plans to employ his wrestling and test Jackson’s defense, and that seems to be the right plan, because even if he doesn’t take the fight down, he can force Jackson into a physical fight and hope that his conditioning lets him take over late. If he does get him down, he might be able to control him and grind out some points. Jackson has been so durable over his career that it seems unlikely Hamill will stop him.

The reverse does not seem so unlikely. Hamill was in serious danger of being stopped by Jon Jones before a disqualification cost Jones the match. He was also stopped by Rich Franklin, though that fight was nearly three years ago. Of course, past performance is no indicator of future success, but it’s all that we have to go on as far as projecting what may happen. Hamill says he’s bringing his full game together at the right time, and it’s certainly possible he will step up to the biggest moment of his career.

By most objective measures, though, Jackson should win. He is more experienced, is a sharper striker, has an excellent chin, and the takedown defense to keep Hamill upright. Jackson seems like he’s in a good frame of mind, and I expect to see it reflected in his performance. Jackson via second-round TKO.

 

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Rampage Jackson Bucks Criticism, Says He Wants to Be Champ Again

LAS VEGAS — Before it happened, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson said that being a champion wouldn’t necessarily mean anything to him. Even when he won the UFC belt, he held the same contention. But now, it seems like Jackson is at the point of his career wh…

LAS VEGAS — Before it happened, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson said that being a champion wouldn’t necessarily mean anything to him. Even when he won the UFC belt, he held the same contention. But now, it seems like Jackson is at the point of his career where he’s reevaluating some of his long-held beliefs. On Thursday, he seemed to reverse course, indicating that yes, it was a goal of his to re-capture the light-heavyweight championship.

That declaration — “I want to be a champion again one day,” for the record — might serve to quiet some of the critics that hammered Jackson for his comments about a lack of excitement to face his UFC 130 opponent Matt Hamill.

After indicating that his career will come to an end around his 35th birthday, perhaps Jackson — who turns 33 next month — has begun to think about his career winding down, and setting goals for before he calls it quits. Or maybe he simply liked being the champion, and the bragging rights that it provides. Or maybe the money is simply better. Whatever the case, Jackson seemed to buck any thoughts that he is lacking in motivation for this bout and beyond.

The more you find yourself around him, the more fascinated you find yourself about what comes out of his mouth. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s insightful, and sometimes it’s controversial. Some of his recent comments fell into that last category. But Jackson, who has been fighting professionally for over a decade, clarified the “excitement” remarks during a Thursday interview session.

“It’s like a teacher being excited to go to the classroom every day,” he said. “He’s used to it. You guys may look at it differently than me, but this is my career. It’s my job and what I do. I think it’s weird when people think I’m not excited. I keep it real. I don’t know if other fighters get excited or not. I don’t know. I’m excited to be working and make a living and stuff like that, but another day, another dollar.”

Jackson, in other words, said the previous comments were not an indictment on his opponent Hamill as they are a reflection of the way he approaches his career. Which is to say, it’s a job first and foremost.

Part of that attitude stems from his love-hate relationship with the sport. He loves to fight, but he hates the training, the aches and pains, the early morning runs, the inability to eat the things he enjoys.

Because of that, it takes a lot to get him really amped for a fight, even if the stakes are high. He says even when he fought Chuck Liddell for the title, and Wanderlei Silva for the third time, he didn’t find himself excited at the prospect. That changed last year when he faced rival Rashad Evans after the two formed an antagonistic relationship on The Ultimate Fighter.

“I really wanted to beat him and I wanted to shut his mouth,” Jackson said, explaining that the match became personal more than business. ” I guess thats maybe why I’m not trying to get excited anymore. I was under the impression we’d get it on and do the thing, but it turned into a boring match for the fans.”

Jackson has no such animosity for Hamill, describing himself as “very impressed” with Hamill’s ability to overcome his hearing disability while becoming a divisional contender.

Looking fit, lean and happy, the popular Jackson has plenty to gain with a win, as a victory may vault him into a fall date with light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. That opportunity was likely one he didn’t see coming, and so maybe one he finds more precious than he might let on. Earlier this week, he voiced regret for letting an opportunity to fight then-champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua escape him for getting out of shape between fights, and said he was “sick and tired” of blowing up in between fights.

To that end, he and a friend recently opened a gym nearby his California home, and he plans to stay in better shape year-round to take advantage of any opportunities presented to him.

“I’m trying,” he said. “I’m trying to stay in shape but I’m a lazy guy. I dread going to gym. I’d rather be at home playing video games. But I’m trying. I want to be champion again one day.”

 

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