(Uh-oh, looks like someone fell off the Rockstar wagon. GET OUT OF THE STREETS!!)
We don’t know why this is coming as a surprise to some people, but allegedly, Rampage Jackson and King Mo‘s scuffle at Bellator 110 *might* have been pre-planned. And by “might have,” we of course mean without the slightest hint of doubt whatsoever.
In the main event of what was a pretty decent night of fights at Bellator 110 last Friday, Jackson defeated former Bellator light heavyweight champion Christian M’Pumbu by first round knockout, then proceeded to chug 14 cases of Red Bull off camera (again, allegedly) before conducting his post-fight interview. Old habits die hard, indeed. By the time Jimmy Smith got to Jackson, the electrolytes had already amplified Page’s inherent rage tenfold, causing the former UFC champ to once again blackout and lose his goddamned mind.
After screaming about being “a monster” — although given his history, I think “demigod” would have been more appropriate (*ducks beer bottle*) — Jackson told King Mo, who I believe had been brought into the cage with the Honest-to-God intention of complimenting Jackson on his performance and possibly washing his feet, that he “was next.” For whatever reason, King Mo took offense to Jackson’s correct understanding of a tournament format and engaged Jackson in a sort-of shoving match that was quickly separated by no less than 20 people.
A Nashville brawl it was not, and honestly, the funniest part of the entire incident was watching Jimmy Smith smirk and half-heartedly attempt to hold back Rampage. Unfortunately, like Sonnen vs. Wandy on the TUF set before it, it appears that Page and Mo’s scuffle was all but rehearsed.
Shortly after the event had ended, Sherdog.com’s Jack Encarnacao asked Mohegan Sun regulator Mike Mazzulli whether or not there would be any sanctions placed on either fighter for the scuffle. His answer perhaps revealed a little too much (via Encarnacao’s twitter):
Mazzulli: You saw me get up there, and I did look at it, and I’ll review the tape later. But I know for a fact, you know, no one got hurt. It was Rampage is Rampage, and King Mo is King Mo, and the bottom line is, tickets got to be sold. And you know what? I’ll review it. Highly unlikely I will fine anybody. No one got hurt. It was just a push.
Me: As a regulator, is it important for you to know from Bellator or Spike that that was pre-planned in any way? That must be germaine to your looking into it, right?
Mazzulli: Oh, absolutely. You hit the nail on the head. I was told about it, I was told about it yesterday at the weigh-in, and that’s why there would be no cause and effect to it.
Me: So you had an idea?
Mazzulli: I absolutely had a, yeah. And it’s something I don’t like speaking about. But, you know, you ask me the question, I’m going to tell you the truth. It’s going to be an interesting fight between the two.
“Tickets got to be sold” needs to become the “World Fucking Domination” of Bellator by the end of the year. (*starts Facebook group*)
While it is true that Jackson and Mo go way back like spinal cords and car seats, as Tracy Jordan would put it, they have long since squashed their beef, which makes it very plausible that they would agree to an (allegedly) fabricated post-fight confrontation. Then again, maybe Page and Mo are just two guys who generally hate each other and were a little too fired up following their fights. That’s how Mazzulli made it seem when pressed further on the issue, at least:
What did they Bellator you to expect? (Ed note: I’m guessing he meant to write “What did Bellator tell you to expect?”)
Mazzulli: Basically what they stated, they said, as you know, both fighters get very excited after the fight, and words may be said. Nothing was discussed about a fake fight and being ready to stop it, that was absolutely not the case. The case was that the two fighters get very excited, and if something occurs, we’re going to stop it, but I just wanted to give you a heads up that they’re very emotional after each win. There was nothing about a setup or any of that, absolutely not.
I regulate combative sports. When it comes to the production of the TV and everything, that’s not for me to say unless there’s a safety issue with the fighters. And if something did occur to the point where I felt it was excessive, a sanction would definitely have happened. But I was not told they were going to yell at each other, any of that. I was just informed that both fighters get very – I guess you want to say, “pumped up” – and are very verbal, and everyone knows that they are.
I don’t know about you guys, but not since Tito Ortiz hit Rampage with a hammer have I felt so betrayed. What? THIS MMA THING IS STILL REAL TO ME, DAMMIT!
