Quinton “Rampage” Jackson sent the above tweet on Monday night, once again reminding the world that he has had a falling out with every single person or corporate entity he has ever had a relationship with. Jackson’s association with Bellator began with the usual declarations of love. Here’s what he told CagePotato back in June 2013:
“Me and Bellator, we tongue kissing right now, baby…Ever since I did that ‘A-Team’ movie it like — it’s like I cheated on [the UFC]. And so, you know what I’m saying, like over here I don’t see any way I can cheat on Bellator, because it seems like, you know what I’m saying, they’re with Viacom. They got me all set up. It’s all in-house and stuff like that…I see me being happy with these guys for the rest of my career. Because, you know what I’m saying, I can just feel it…I’ve done a lot of favors for the UFC, and sometimes, I didn’t get my favors back to me.”
Bellator saved him from a disgruntled existence with the UFC, just like the UFC saved him from a disgruntled existence with PRIDE. And for a while, Rampage and the Bjorn Rebney-led Bellator were in the thrall of new romance, just tongue-kissing their brains out. ‘Page dutifully played along with Spike TV’s awkward pro-wrestling crossover storylines, and he was successful in the cage, going 3-0 under the Bellator banner with first-round knockouts of Joey Beltran and Christian M’Pumbu. (He also beat King Mo in a dubious decision that nevertheless produced one of the best soundbites of the year.)
But the infatuation phase wears off, as it always does, and the person you thought you were sleeping with looks a lot different in the light of day. Now that current president Scott Coker is beginning to clean house and set course for new directions, things at Bellator aren’t the same anymore. Predictably, Quinton Jackson is beginning to regret leaving the familiar embrace of his old wife, the UFC. Only this time, there isn’t a new set of arms waiting to catch him.
So will the UFC take him back? Well, UFC president Dana White had nothing but kind words to say about Rampage during an appearance yesterday on TSN’s On The Record:
“I like Rampage Jackson,” said White. “Rampage and I have a very unique relationship in that all the stuff that goes on publicly, behind the scenes we square away. He’s a good dude.”
Ben Saunders has proven that it’s possible to wash out of the UFC, do relatively well in Bellator, then be brought back to the UFC. The question is, are UFC fans willing to see Rampage back in the Octagon? Considering that the UFC needs Fight Pass headliners now more than ever, a Rampage return could be possible whether we like it or not.