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Rampage Jackson Responds to Dan Henderson’s Criticism Via Twitter

UFC 144 was supposed to be a homecoming for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.Entering the Octagon with to PRIDE theme music and slamming Ryan Bader on his head brought back some of the nostalgia for Japanese fans, but Jackson wasn’t able to pick up the victor…

UFC 144 was supposed to be a homecoming for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Entering the Octagon with to PRIDE theme music and slamming Ryan Bader on his head brought back some of the nostalgia for Japanese fans, but Jackson wasn’t able to pick up the victory.

Jackson looked rather lethargic walking into his bout with Bader, as he claimed a knee injury forced him to enter the matchup at six pounds over the 205-pound weight limit. The loss to Bader was Jackson’s second straight defeat, and it didn’t sit well with some fans.

Or with Dan Henderson.

Henderson voiced his opinion on the matchup via his Twitter account over the weekend. He criticized Jackson’s performance and didn’t seem to be too impressed with the former UFC light heavyweight champion.

“Bader fought great. Nice job. Quinton looks like he just showed up to get paid,” Henderson wrote. “Good round for Bader. Rampage has never been the smartest fighter.”

Henderson’s comments obviously didn’t seem to flatter Jackson, as retaliated in very few words.

“I was smart enough 2 take your belt,” Jackson wrote in response to Henderson.

Both Jackson and Henderson fought to unify the UFC and PRIDE light heavyweight title at UFC 75, which saw Jackson earn the unanimous decision.

Henderson is currently awaiting the winner of the upcoming title bout between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans at UFC 145 , but he recently stated that he would be open to facing Jackson in a rematch.

Although the recent Twitter feud between Jackson and Henderson won’t likely escalate, it might start a potential rivalry if both men meet again in a future bout.

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Quinton Jackson: 5 Things We Learned About Rampage After UFC 144

Quinton Jackson’s career is steeped in Japan to the point where it could be argued that his UFC career is an afterthought. In the lead-up to UFC 144 and the events that followed, fans saw a different side of “Rampage” Jackson.It was a side that was sof…

Quinton Jackson‘s career is steeped in Japan to the point where it could be argued that his UFC career is an afterthought. In the lead-up to UFC 144 and the events that followed, fans saw a different side of “Rampage” Jackson.

It was a side that was softer and seemed to enjoy more of what he was doing and where he was.

The fight spoke volumes of where Jackson is mentally as a fighter, but the interviews and interactions he had with fans and media in the days surrounding it made more of an impact.

He resonated on a level that hadn’t been seen by many fans.

Here are some of those moments.

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Rampage Jackson Not Considering Retirement, Still Sees a Future in the UFC

Following his disappointing performance against Ryan Bader at UFC 144, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s future was uncertain.The former PRIDE FC star was eager to fight in Japan but he came up short in the process against Bader, who outwrestled Jackson for …

Following his disappointing performance against Ryan Bader at UFC 144, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s future was uncertain.

The former PRIDE FC star was eager to fight in Japan but he came up short in the process against Bader, who outwrestled Jackson for a majority of the bout. Jackson also entered his bout overweight, as he missed the weight cut the day before.

But despite the loss, Jackson is still adamant on fighting in the UFC.

“See, I know I’m getting to the end of my career, because I say I don’t want to fight past 35, but, honestly, before I hurt my knee you guys should have seen how I was training,” Jackson told reporters during a UFC 144 post-fight press conference.

“I think I’ve got a lot of years (left). I’m ready to put on more shows. I heal up fast, I’m like a werewolf. I wasn’t even supposed to fight here, so I’ll be back really soon.”

In regards to a future opponent for Jackson, names have ranged from Dan Henderson to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Rua was an opponent that Jackson had originally intended on facing in Japan, prior to facing Bader in the co-main event.

The loss to Bader gives Jackson the first back-to-back losses in his career and is now 7-4 inside the Octagon, and holds a professional record of 32-10 overall.

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UFC 144 Results: The Top 5 Moments from the Edgar vs. Henderson Card

UFC 144 was a great event from top to bottom, featuring several star performances from UFC newcomers and veterans alike. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the m…

5. Hatsu Hioki proving he’s UFC-ready

Bart Palaszewski is one of the UFC’s strongest assets in its featherweight division. He may not be championship-caliber, but he’s always entertaining, he always fights to finish, and he’s got enough versatility and veteran savvy to pose a threat to anybody. In short, he’s a great gatekeeper, and most people can’t pass his test.

Hatsu Hioki did, though, and he did it with flying colors. I’m finally starting to believe some of Hatsu Hioki’s hype.

4. Anthony Pettis KO’ing Joe Lauzon

Joe Lauzon is a really entertaining fighter, and I always feel gutted when he loses. But I felt incredibly happy when Anthony Pettis scored his first stoppage win in the UFC, even if it came at the cost of Lauzon getting KO’d.

It’s taken a few fights, but Pettis seems to have finally found firm ground to stand on in the UFC. Moving forward, I can’t wait to see if Pettis can capitalize on this victory and make a serious run at the title.

3. Mark Hunt dropping and stopping Cheick Kongo

How can you not love Mark Hunt? The guy puts it all out there every single time he fights, and it’s finally starting to pay off for him.

I honestly consider Mark Hunt’s current run to be one of the most spectacular resurrections of an MMA fighter’s career that I’ve ever seen. No matter where Mark Hunt goes from here, I’ll definitely be pulling for him.

2. Tim Boetsch rallying and stopping Yushin Okami

You couldn’t write a better comeback than this one. Tim Boetsch was done but not out, he was losing two rounds to none but never stopped thinking that he could finish the fight.

Yushin Okami, to his credit, did everything right in this fight and was five or so minutes away from getting a dominant decision victory.

But sometimes…sometimes you just get caught.

That’s exactly what happened to Okami, and it resulted in a spectacular come-from-behind stoppage win that I know we’ll all still be talking about for weeks to come.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 144 is…

1. The main event, of course

If Benson Henderson vs. Frank Edgar hadn’t lived up to its hype, I would’ve been severely disappointed. Both men are on my list of favorite fighters, and I think the two of them are two of the most entertaining fighters the UFC has to offer.

For five rounds, these two gave us a stellar back-and-forth fight. It was non-stop action with a number of twists and turns, and even a few close calls. In the end we got a new UFC lightweight champion, and that was pretty awesome to see as well.

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UFC 144 Results: Why Anthony Pettis Does Not Deserve a Title Shot

Following wins over this past weekend by Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson, it appears that the two former WEC Champions are on the path to face each other again. But, in looking at the current contenders in the lightweight division and scoping Anthony Pettis’s record so far in the UFC, it really looks as if Pettis does not deserve the next crack at the lightweight crown.

Yes, Pettis was promised a title shot when the WEC was absorbed into the UFC. Yes, Pettis did not receive the promised title shot after the draw between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. And yes, he opted not to wait for the winner, which was an honorable thing to do.

But that is where the line is drawn. By not waiting for his title shot, Pettis took on Clay Guida and lost in a lackluster performance. He kissed his title shot away with that loss.

So on the rebound, he defeated Jeremy Stephens, who is an exciting, powerful fighter, but not a top 15 and maybe not a top 20 opponent. He won by decision, using wrestling and opting to stay away from the striking that Stephens possessed.

He then this past weekend beat Joe Lauzon. Although it was a definitive win, it most definitely does not warrant Pettis a title shot. In his last fights, Pettis is 6-2. While this is a good record, his only notable victories, in my opinion were over Henderson and Lauzon (no disrespect to Stephens because I am a huge fan).

He has lost to now-featherweight Bart Palaszewski and the aforementioned Guida, who is a top 10 lightweight. If he was unable to beat Guida, I don’t see how he is going to beat Henderson, who dominated Guida.

Pettis, for now, is still a prospect in my eyes. He is a future title contender in the UFC, but as of right now needs to polish his all-around skills. Guys like Jim Miller, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar and even Gray Maynard are closer to the title at this point. I believe that the winner of Miller/Diaz or an Edgar rematch are the best choices for the next title fight.

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UFC 144 Results: What’s Next for Joe Lauzon

When Joe Lauzon fights, the fans are watching. Whether he wins or loses, he is always in the bonus mix.In fact, seven of Lauzon’s last eight fights have earned him or his opponent “Fight of the Night”, “Submission of the Night”, or “Knockout of the Nig…

When Joe Lauzon fights, the fans are watching. Whether he wins or loses, he is always in the bonus mix.

In fact, seven of Lauzon’s last eight fights have earned him or his opponent “Fight of the Night”, “Submission of the Night”, or “Knockout of the Night” bonuses.

Lauzon now has 12 career UFC fights. His record is still an admirable 8-4, but he is having a hard time climbing into title contention.

At 27 years of age, the time is now for Lauzon to make a run if he is ever going to do so. Unfortunately for him, the UFC Lightweight division has become arguably the most stacked division of the promotion. In addition, the list of names above him in the rankings grew exponentially with his loss to Anthony Pettis.

Lauzon is going to need to take a fight to get his momentum going again, and a fight with Donald Cerrone makes sense and would be a predicted favorite for “Fight of the Night”. Cerrone needs to get the buzz for his career going after the lopsided loss to Nate Diaz. If it is going to be Cerrone, Lauzon will have to have a longer than usual layoff in between fights as “Cowboy” is scheduled to face Jeremy Stephens in May.

It may turn out that Lauzon will never make a serious run for a title. The talent pool in his division is only getting deeper with each passing month, and while he has 21 professional victories, he can’t seem to string enough wins together to gain the notoriety needed to challenge for a championship.

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