Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: I’m Done Fighting
Former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has announced on his official website that he’s “done fighting”:
The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them. The UFC bought WFA to get my contract & they saved my life, so I felt loyal to them. They pushed me into a fight with Chuck Liddel even when I clearly stated I wasn’t ready to fight for the belt because the American fans didn’t know me but I took the fight and didn’t complain & after I won the American fans booed me for the first time which changed the way I saw them & it hurt me deeply.
Then before I can even get out of the cage they announced that I was fighting Dan Henderson without even asking me. After I beat Dan Henderson, I made history in becoming the first undisputed champion in MMA but was never even given the pride belt in the cage & I was never promoted as the undisputed champ. Later Anderson Silva was.
Then they had me coach TUF season 7 and fight Forrest and the fight was very controversial & normally when a fight is that close & controversial there is normally an instant replay. I can name a couple of instances. Instead they offered me the Vanderlei Silva fight which I gladly accepted even though I know it was a very risky fight for me to take because of all the drama that was happening to me at the time. I fought that fight with a jaw injury and then a couple weeks later Dana called me and asked me to fight Rashad. For the first time I said no, I didn’t want to fight because it was such short notice & I wouldn’t have had a long break between camp. Dana talked me into fighting Rashad anyway but Rashad refused the fight and so I had to fight Jardine as a favor to the UFC instead of getting my belt back (which wasn’t even worth it to me financially).
Then I reinjured my jaw in the fight with Vanderlei & Jardine. Frank Mir gets hurt so they wanted to switch my fight from UFC 100 to the fight Frank couldn’t make it to but I couldn’t fight cause I needed jaw surgury. So they give Machida the fight against Rashad & they told me they want me to coach TUF season 10 against Rashad. That’s why I wanted Rashad to win so bad but when Rashad got knocked out I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of ultimate fighter show they were doing. After I signed the contract Dana then changes his mind & says I have to fight Rashad & even told me what to say in the press & so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that I still never complained & I did it all.
Then this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year & as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away & asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the tv show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcohalic & addicted to drugs & we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad & I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad & I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the tv with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that & I still did nothing. Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bullshit & he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released & talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I’m not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties & neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy.. so I’m done fighting. I’ve been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don’t pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I’m hanging it up. I’m gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they’ll follow me to my new career & I will gain more loyal fans along the way. & all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! & anybody that don’t like what I just said can come try to kick my ass!
I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn’t respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!
Jackson and UFC President Dana White had been on the outs over “Rampage” accepting a role in the upcoming “A-Team” movie that forced the postponement of his matchup against fellow TUF 10 coach and rival Rashad Evans, though White said following Saturday’s UFC 103 event that they had “made up”.
Whether Jackson is serious and will follow through on his vow to stop fighting remains to be seen, but his latest blog post points to the relationship between the UFC and Jackson being very much in jeopardy.
Let the discussion begin, but stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for further updates on this story…
Tags: Quinton Jackson
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this cant be real
I’m not gonna lie, this could make the current TUF season slightly less meaningful…
Lol…I would say that would qualify as understatement of the decade, considering half of the broadcast is them talking about fighting each other, the whole show is basically a 12 week commercial for a fight…so yea slightly…what I would give to see dana’s reaction at the exact moment he got this news…that could be an episode worth watching…you know he threw a sh!t fit…the end
thats exactly what i was thinking dude
Nnnoooooo!!!
HOLY CRAP
DIDNT SEE THIS COMING!!
I support Jackson in whatever he does. He comes down to Supporting you’re family. Good Luck RAMPAGE!!
wow
If he stops fighting it will suck, but he has good reasons. I really wanted him to knock out Rashad though
its like evans vs jackson wasnt meant to be sniff sniff
Crazy my two fav. Fighters left for acting rampage and
huerta. Well atleast titos coming back.
helll yeaa tito is gonna smash
Good for Rampage.. someone finally stood up to the man.. however i feel he will be back in the octagon at least once more before he is done..
Sucks, but like I’ve said before, I can’t blame a man for doing things to better himself, and his family financially…if you can make more money by not getting punched in the head, more power to you…the end
south,
You’re cool in my book, but please stop putting “the end” on all your comments. That’s a personal request, not a moderator request, FYI.
I really don’t see why it bothers some of yall so much, but if those two words just get on everybody’s nerves I”ll quit…fin
its because it makes it look like your opinion is the only one that counts and final and absolute. which goes against what this site represents.
and quitting would be extremely emo of you.
Haha, I was going to start writing “The Beginning” on all of my post, but “The End” was funnier. I think I like “Fin” the best!
Well… my complaint is that it adds nothing to the conversation. It also indicates that you are not going to comment on the topic anymore, but that is rarely the case. If you are simply stating that it is the end of that particular comment, well, you’re simply stating the obvious. Like I said, it’s not a moderator request, I’m just personally annoyed by it.
Holy ****! Didnt see this one comin. That sucks. Dana is going to flip out over this one!
That kind of takes away from the rivalry on the Ultimate fighter show. I would have been cheering for Rashad in that fight. I wonder what rashad thinks. Who is he going to fight? Dana pisses off someone else. Great Job…..
Well it looks like Dana’s big mouth may have done it this time…one more mess for the Fertitta’s to clean up.
On a semi-related positive note…huerta says that the maynard fight reignited his passion for fighting, so there is a solid chance that he will back in the ufc…the end
No way! That’s awesome! I thought he won that fight but I could
be playing favorites
I’m not a big rampage fan but i do wish him well in his acting career.Only problem i don’t beleive for a second that he’s done fighting.He probally means what he says about retiring,but like every athlete i think he’s gonna realize that he’s still got a coulple of years left,esspecialy after he’s done with A-team and has trouble getting other roles.He’s kind of a strange dude anyway so not much would surprise me.
your so ****in dumb ,yeh i guess it would be hard to land a role in a movie after getting the role of the MAIN character. rampage will be sucsessful in whatever he doesChill on the personal attack~ FR702
JACKSON JUST FIGHT ONE MORE TIME AND KICK RASHADS ASS AND THEN RETIRE AND DO MOVIE BRO YOUR TRUE FANS WANT TO SEE YOU KNOCC OUT RASHAD AND SHUT HIS MOUTH PLAYA
Dont really believe this will play out like this , Rampage is pissed and rightfully so after Dana’s comments but no way he goes out like this . Either the fertittas clean this up or Rampage changes his mind , I mean he is at the top of his game right now even with the injuries he can still be top 5 205er so i dont buy into this too much although this will be interesting to discuss which may be the ultimate objective !
Wow… well jackson been fighting for over a decade and now its time to move on why not he has gotten the greatest honor in fighting history by becoming the first unified champ of MMA.. and you have to admire his honest…. its all about the money and your family at the end of the day. Good luck champ……………..
Good luck to him and I hope things work out. If this is true then it is a shame but he has his reasons and he will be missed. I do not know enough to pick sides here but I am a fan of Rampage so all I can say is that I hope he has a good movie agent.
We’ve all had emotional outbursts when somebody pisses us off (a specialty of Mr. White). Calmer heads generally prevail, and things go back to normal. I’d be very suprised if that isn’t the case here.
Cry me a Freakin river “Page.” Thats how athletic organizations work. Ask any NBA NFL or MLB star if they were ever asked to do somethin or told what to say in a press conference. If you don’t wanna fight then just say it is ur decision. Don’t try to put the decision from the UFC. Rashad would have worked ur a$$ anyway.
The vast majority of his complaints stem from being given fights without consulting his feelings on the matter first? And he thinks he gets credit for happily accepting a Wanderlei fight even though it was risky for him?
OoooK. Oh and he beat the former Pride champ in the UFC and they put a UFC belt around his waist…? Either I’m totally wrong about these next three statements or Rampage is losing even more legitimacy with his statements.
1) This isn’t boxing where your manager negotiates for weeks and/or months to try and set up a fight that is both a good match up for his fighter and brings in the maximum payload possible.
2) In the UFC for the overwhelming most part you fight who they put in front of you and if its going to pose a major challenge, then good. Thats what sports and especially the heart of fighting are all about.
3)And I quote Dana White on July 10, 2007…”Why should Dan Henderson get the UFC title if “Rampage” can’t get the PRIDE titles? It makes one of them the undisputed guy.”
If Rampage doesn’t want to fight he doesn’t have to, fine. I just hope this isn’t some publicity stunt to make everyone rave about the Dana/Rampage dispute as MrBushido suggested. That type of soap opera bullsh!t is more suited for the WWE. Most legitimate sports don’t need a fabricated rivalry to boost hype for a match or event. The truth is usually enough to put fans in the seats.
Also I hope this post doesn’t make me one of those “hater fans” or I’ll have to kiss Rampages big black hairy a$$ and try to kick his a$$ too, as he so eloquently put it. Come at the public in a jerk manner like that during your red carpet premiere for A-Team Quinton, see how many new fans that gets you genius!
I guess this sets up Anderson vs. Rashad and Hendo vs. Marquart. Although , personally, I would have loved to see Hendo fight GSP at 108 seeing as though there is no legit no 1 contender in the WW division
You guys have to be kidding me……You guys are making it sound like rampage is standing up for himself or something…guess what he’s not…dana is not the bad guy….please anyone please tell me without dana and the ufc where would rampage be?…..hmm well lets see before coming to the ufc he was a guy that most remembered from pride for two things powerbombing arona and the bigger of the two being whooped on and left clinging to the ropes after wanderlai murdered him with knees….the truth is guys i dont care im a rampage fan…well I used to be….and i understand wanting to feed your family but this guy consistanlly makes bad choices in life?…..does he honestly believe that he is gonna gain more fans and money from what playing the big strong bad guy in tons of horribly made straight to dvd fighting movies?…..come on guys he has no heart all he cares about is money and myself Im glad to see he’s leaving because honestly if all he cares about is the money then i dont want him in this sport…..i like watching fighters…if i wanted to watch people who only care about money in a competition I’d watch a flyod mayweather fight……honestly rampage has no fighters heart and this is the nail in the coffin…this guy is ridiculous….guess were my rampage tshirt and rampage chain is going…straight in the trash this guy is garbage….Im not fighter bashing either imo because he isnt a fighter….rampage in the last few years has- gone on a rampage and almost kille a mother and her child,left to move england,gave up a shot at lyoto, pulled out of a rashad fight for the a team movie and now is quiting mma for movies!…..im sorry but man people really on this guys nuts arent they how can any of you defend this guy anymore because im fed up with his crap good ridence quinton “movie star” jackson…good luck playing big bad mean bad dude in all of the bad straight to dvd fighting movies your gonna be in…..since you think your a regular brad pitt lets see it prove me wrong movie star boy…….Ive got an idea lets make a new tv show called “The Ultimate Movie Star” starring coaches jackie chan and jason statham…with a 1,000,000 movie contract on the line- starring cung le, roger huerta and quinton jackson….YA!
U sound like a bitter fanboy. The reason any of us work is for the money. Period.
Yeah, people work for money, but there are a lot of people that will work for less money because they love what they do. I know people who have left very lucrative professions, and gone to do something else for half, or a third of the pay because they actually loved what they went to do.
bzul3, a bitter fan boy believe me im bot gonna be a fanboy of a fake fighter and its not just the money issue…..rampage acts like he doesnt already make enough money to support his family….this guy could learn a thing or two from real people……do you know how many kids rampage has? four children….the guy had a perfectly loving wife yuki until a test proved he cheated on her……this dude keeps on making bad choices in life and you guys just keep defending him…who looks like the fanboys me or you???……A fanboy is someone who is mad that rampage isnt fighting anymore and i am far from that…i would pay to see rampage fight, why should i support a guy in rampage when he talks bad about us fans saying what have we done for him?….Dana is the real victim here not rampage….does anyone actually believe all this crap coming from rampages mouth about being forced to face liddell,henderson and forrest I mean come on if someone like franklin or couture was saying it i would believe it but i mean come on rampage the guy who almost killed a mother and her child with his truck…..I MEAN WHAT DOES THIS GUY MEAN HES DONE MORE FOR THE UFC THEY COVERED UP AND KEPT QUIET ON A SITUATION WHERE RAMPAGE RAN DOWN A WOMAN AND HER CHILD IN A TRUCK THE UFC GAVE HIM WITH HIS OWN FACE ON IT…THIS GUY IS DELIRIOUS AND AN IDIOT…..i HAVE NOE FURTHER PURPOSE IN EVER WANTING TO WATCH HIM FIGHT
OH NO!! This sucks!
I wonder whats left on his contract…
Well…This is an odd one.
The accusations levied against the Dana and the UFC as far as what happened with the TUF/Machida/Rashad incident are pretty serious. I personally would like to know how much truth there is to that. However, Jackson said that he was told what to say so it looked like he was scared to fight Machida, if I remember correctly, he said then it was about money.
Where Rampage was talking about “Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bull**** & he was talking bad about the movie.” I just want you guys to know that Dana said at the press conference on Sat. that he and Rampage had talked and were cool. Rampage said on Thursday, before Dana said they had talked, that he was writing this blog. His mind was made up before he talked to Dana, I think.
As far as, “the dumb ass fans that don’t pay my bills or put my kids though college.” Hey numbnuts, who the heck do you think buys the freaking pay per views, that pay the UFC the money that they turn around and pay you with, which therefore pays your bills and puts your kids through college? Ding ding ding, the fans you just blasted.
In regards to, “I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!” Well… then why are you quitting the job that has paid you all these years, and gotten you a chance at being in a movie in the first place?
I personally was rather indifferent to Rampage, then his BS he pulled when Forrest lost to Silva in August made me not like him. Then I saw the first episode of TUF and liked him even less, and was actually considering the unthinkable, pulling for Rashad. After this, I will pull against Rampage in every fight he’s in, if he ever does fight again, which I have a sneaking feeling he will.
Gunslinger, what is with you and your pro-Dana peers? How much do you have to see this man and his organization jerk people around before you believe it? OBVIOUSLY Rampage didn’t want to pass on a title shot and go for a fight with Rashad, but he was forced to. Proof of that can be seen in Dana saying after the Rashad-Machida fight that the TUF 10 coaches were already picked, meaning they did it knowing the risk of Machida wining for Rampage and didn’t care. Plus, you can see on the video blog Rampage’s weariness when Dana comes in and tries to push him into another short notice fight (after the jardine fight) vs. Rashad (never mind the bull that they were screwing over Machida, the legitimate contendor in doing so).
Jon Fitch, RANDY COUTURE, and now Rampage Jackson.
How much does it take? Do you need to see Rich Franklin walk away in disgust (who btw has been jerked around plenty aka 195 fights he said he would never take). There is a difference between boxing hold outs and having SOME say over your career.
GOOD FOR YOU RAMPAGE, DANA IS TWO-FACED AND DISLOYAL.
Well Jez you can take your big long list of screwed over fighters (that is what your implying isn’t it?) and add them to this list. This is the list of fighters who Dana has given a lucrative career to by building up the UFC from the ground up and doing more for the sport of MMA than any other person ever. The list goes like this…
– The 250+ fighters who have been employed by the UFC this year
– The THOUSANDS of other fighters who get the chance to fight for a living worldwide because of the popularity that MMA has garnered, and the credit for this rising popularity can be left at the door of Dana White.
You propose to malign the man who gave all these fighters a chance to showcase their skills to millions? Why? Because he had to do what any business man has to do, and thats make tough decisions at the expense of your employees wishes sometimes? Dude your off your fxcking rocker and WAY out of line. Let me give you some quotes to put this whole situation in further perspective for those who give a rats a$$ about the truth. Listen up Rampage lovers…
“Dana told me I could fight whoever, and I had my mind set to fight Evans,” said Rampage. According to White, the result of Saturday’s bout didn’t sway Jackson’s desire to fight Evans in the least.
“He told me, ‘This is personal,” recalled the UFC boss. “‘The title’s gonna be there. Whether Machida fights again and keeps the title or loses it, I’m going after the title, but I want to kick Rashad’s ass. When somebody says that to me,” said White. “I’m in. I want to give guys fights that they’re fired up for, motivated for, and excited for. Rampage is really motivated and fired up to fight Rashad Evans for getting in his face. He’s upset about it, and I know that Rashad would like to fight Rampage too.”
This is what Rampage had to say back in May: “This is my job, this is my life, and I want to put the best foot forward and I want to be the best champion that ever lived.”
Look it up it was on UFC.com Here read it yourself. Don’t go off some of the complete loads of horsesh!t some of these delusional swindlers have been spewing all a sudden.
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=20068
you sir are an idiotdo you believe everything you hear from rampage…I mean come on really this guy has done nothing but lie his whole life and yous till believe him…if franklin said this stuff id believe it but rampage come on dude really….rich has not been jerked around obviosuly you know nothing because rich has expressed his love for the 195 lb weight classyou idiothe isnt forced to fight there…your flawed comments pose no threat to me come back when you have a legitimate argument…how is dana two faced all he has ever done is try and keep a company intact and running…your stupid dudeFR702
Why does everyone keep bashing on Rampage for making a movie and not fighting. There is more to life then fighting. He wants to make a movie, then fine. Nothing wrong with trying something new. It is a good mental break.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Pretty obvious NO, Edited~ FR702
I know we aren’t supposed to bash other posters, but fu<k you for putting the giant side scroll on my screen.
lol, I was wondering why I had that scroll bar at the bottom.
Me too. I actually scrolled across to see what was over there. My morning was ruined when I saw that there was nothing.
If i had a choice between earning Millions acting or Earning a couple hundered grand getting my face smashed in i know what i would choose
Rampage obviously prefers money over fighting
I pitty the fool who dont support rampage, good luck rampage!
im just looking forward to dana’s response
I hope the UFC holds him to these comments and cuts him loose so he can make more money somewhere else. It won’t be from his acting, since any other role will be well beyond him – he can’t even take training MMA seriously anymore it seems. And by crapping on the UFC he is guaranteeing that the only fights he’ll make real money in are freakshow fights in Japan.
The UFC is smarter then that. The Fertitas will straighten Rampage out and all will be well.
Just one more Rampage please!!!! I support him in whatever he thinks is best for his fam but I want to see him and Rashad fight sooooo bad!!!! Maybe if he whoops up on Rashad he will get that taste of victory back and then look out Machida!! I can always hope right?
woah tis is a big shock, this post is gonna have alot comments
With the amount of trash talking Rampage has been doing towards Rashad Evans he better man up and fight one last time. I agree with all other posters in saying that TUF 10 seems rather pointless now, as the focus on that show has never been the contestants, it’s been Rashad vs Rampage, from day one.
I heard Dana say in an interview that there was no formal contract signed by the coaches to fight each other at a specific time, but he did make it seem like there was a deal in place saying they would infact fight each other.
I don’t see Rampage turning down 250 to a potential 400k for this fight though. He talks about money and his family and this is one of the biggest paychecks for a fight he will ever see.
I hope he sucks it up and fights the fight, he in principle, agreed to do.
If he doesn’t suck it up and fight the fight he agreed to, then he has no honor and I feel sorry for his kids.
Rampage would actually be looking at realizing more along the lines of $2-3 million for this fight than $250-400k.
big hit for the UFC. Rampage is a major draw. IMO I could’ve seen this coming.
Actually, Rampage alone isn’t that big of a draw.
Ya hes not actually. tito/chuck 2 did like 1.2 mill buys. Rampage/chuck did like 650
And when he fought jardine it was the lowest in PPV sales for the UFC so far this year.
damn that sucks
Wow this is kind of sad really, I mean Jackson sayin about fans booing him I mean not everyone is going to like you plus Chuck had alot of fans. This may have destroyed this seasons of TUF ,Look I mean he doesn’t get payed like 10k to fight he gets payed like 250k to fight, plus he has a contact.. but for one thing tho ,I mean whats all that internet sh!t mean anyways…NOTHING.. If Jackson wants to quit after Rashad more then welcome to, or if he wants Lyoto after go ahead , but quitin and not giving his loyal fans a good bye fight or a chance to say goodbye.. that just sucks, well good luck with your new career because it doesn’t get any easier in Hollywood, and you’ll be jobless more then once going this way.
Rampage has been getting on my nerves lately and in all honesty, I think the guy might have some mental health issues. His story isn’t adding up.
He does have mental health issues, remember that “rampage” that gun refers to above with him hitting that woman…
If all you posters who think Page is done with fighting then I have some ocean-front property in Arizona that I would like to sell you. This is a money-stunt bottom line. He’s basically trying to squeeze the UFC for more money. Page & his agent see how much buzz is going around b/c of the Heavy-weight show & how high the anticipation is for the fight b/t him & Rashad that he thinks he has the UFC by the b@lls & wants to do some “money negotiation”. I think he needs to be careful though…
Sounds plausable. He has stated on several ocassions that it is all about the almighty dollar.
i dont think rampage is that smart to think of that and if he is then he’s dumber than i thought because really the ufc does not need him….he’s caused just as many problems for them as he has done good things for them……trying to screw over dana and zuffa for more money is not smart dana and zuffa will not lose to rampage or his managers in a bargaining deal
I hope that we will get Dana’s response to this in the next day or two to get some clarification around this because it very well might be a stunt like Bottumzup mentioned above or he might have been staying up for a few days chugging Monster Energy drinks again.
Between Mirko’s last performance and Rampage’s lates news, im going to have an emotional MMA breakdown!
why would rampage quit fighting that is bs imo he is the best light heavyweight in the world hands down. he will still fight i have faith he is a real fighter and he wont let this get in front of that.
best lhw? no he wouldnt even come close to beating machida, I dont think he can beat rashad and i think shogun could beat him as well
Rampage has basically dissed every fight he had in the UFC. Who did he want to fight if not the guys he fought??? Im VERY GLAD that fighters dont get to “pick” their fights officially.
Rampage got boo’d when he beat Chuck and blames the fact that people didnt know him?!? Everyone was on Chuck’s peanuts at that point and would have boo’d almost anyone that beat him. He sure made a name for himself in that 1 fight though and people didnt keep booing him in his later fights. That being said, who had a better plan to make Rampage popular and famous…himself or the UFC?
He also complains about his jaw. This might be legit but I always hear fighters talking about fighting with injuries and they all says its just part of the sport. If he needed surgery, he should have gotten it and let the UFC work around it.
Some people are born to make bad decisions. Rampage will not be an actor for long if he doesnt remain relevant in the UFC.
I dont feed his kids or put them through school, nope, I sure dont. BUT! I do feed MINE and put MINE through college and I know I make substantially less than he does. He gets no pitty from me on this subject. I dont want to fighter bash, but Jackson doesnt exactly strike me as the sharpest tool in the shed. I dont think he needs to plan on Harvard tuitions for his offspring.
To be honest, when Rampage came in and was given a title shot in only his second UFC fight against Lidell, it was more about Dana wanting his superstar Chuck Lidell avenge his last loss then it was about having a great title match or truly giving rampage an opportunity.
and there are sooo many fighters that also have been screwed over.
I can’t say I don’t understand the fact that Rampage was the first Undisputed Champ but was never really spoken of that way. The UFC did swing off Andersons nuts and start calling the the worlds greatest champ and undisputed champ so I can see what rampage was saying BUT this is a business dude and although I love the guy, he sounds like he’s complaining.
You guys bring up great points. He’s already getting a lot to support his family in the greatest sport in the world
BUT if this machida/rashad thing is true then Dana White stands to look real bad. It’s things like this that harm both the UFC and Dana’s credibility. It’s things like this that make dana white look more and more like Vince Mcmahon’s long lost brother. If Rampage was indeed ready to rashad and then was forced to fight jardine and if rampage was ready and willing to fight machida but then was forced to go on TUF and fight rashad…then that’s bull**** dude.
So many different things said by rampage and i honestly don’t know how to take them or what to believe.
I’ll just say that rampage was one of my favorite fighters and it’s a shame to have a hall of fame worthy career end like this.
I think a lot of Jackson’s “statement” is what they refer to as “shotgunning” in the PR biz.
Basically, an individual throws several pounds of sh!t at a white wall, no pun intended, and see what sticks.
That which sticks becomes the issue, and the rest goes by the wayside.
Jackson is either working an angle, or he’s done.
Either way, the UFC will go on being the top MMA organization on the planet, and Jackson will go on with his life.
Seeing as how he has kids to feed, I cartainly hope this isn’t a huge mistake for him. The fights I’ve seen him in he always delivered, so I have no reason to wish him ill in his future endeavors.
Obviously from my sideline POV I feel its a mistake, but I’m not in his doctor’s office getting a qualified opinion, I’m not in his manager’s office getting the scoop on his finances, and I’m not seeing Rampage looking back at me in the mirror when I shave in the morning.
Maybe, just maybe, its like he said.
The man’s hurt, he’s aging, and he isn’t Randy Couture. Not everyone can wave off age and injuries and still deliver against someone at BigNog’s level. Possibly Jackson felt that if he goes in against younger, faster, more technically trained fighters like Evans or Machida he’ll just catch a “L”, and possibly get further injured.
If this is some sort of angle, well, its not like he’d be the first pro fighter, or pro athlete, to work the media and the fans to achieve some as-of-yet unrealized goal.
Best we can do is stay tuned for continuing developments, and not take any of this too seriously…
Whatever Rampage choses to do with his life i wish the dude all the best, he’s had some awesome moments in his career and provided us with awesome highlights. Whether or not what he says is true i think the UFC should stop and think about how they handle their relationships with fighters especially their biggest stars because there seems to be something that causes guys to resent the UFC and vise versa, Rampage is not the first guy to say the UFC doesn’t treat their fighters righ and he won’t be the last, Dana White shouls seriously think about how he does busineess with his Fighters because someday things could get worse.
I’ve always been a Rampage fan and always will be……….did you guys see Shane Carwins Twitter on Rampage, seems like Carwin loves talking sh1t about other guys, who the fu*k is he? What has Shane Carwin done in this sport….NOTHING that’s what he’s done, i will be rooting for my boy Brock to do him like he did Mir and whats with Shane Carwin always kissing the fans a$$es? It makes me sick, the dude has no self dignity he’s ALWAYS kissing the fans a$$es, well this fan says F-That your boy Evans would have gotten ko’d again Carwin.
Perhaps he deleted what you’re talking about, I don’t see anything from Carwin about Rampage except a response to someone asking him something.
MK4 Rampage told the fans to kiss his a$$. And called us dumb a$$es. This is what you like and respect? As opposed to Shane Carwin who feels the need to give us all the props in the world? What exactly is wrong with acknowledging the love the fans give you? Your my boy man but I’d like to here some more on this.
Now let’s review what we’ve learned from this Dana White has a big Yap and Quinton Has a hairy ass. Okay, okay we already knew Dana had a big yap and trashs his own fighters in interviews when they don’t do exactly what he wants………. but the hairy ass part is new.
All I have to say is I totally saw this coming with all the Rampage bashing a few comment boards ago. I knew his side would come out and everyone would turn 180. Seriously, think before you speak, bandwaggoners.
i dont quite understand who your aiming your distaste toward is it….the people who support rampage or like me the ones that are mad at him and not supporting him for this
Pretty much anyone who jumped the bandwagon of bashing him two days ago and now are taking his side. Absolutely nothing personal to anyone on here as we all have a common interest in mma. I just found the irony humorous.
Does Rampage really think he has a ’second career’ as an actor??? C’mon, getting the role to play BA is one thing, he has the perfect build and look and attitude for that role. But building that into a career as an actor? Give me a break. He is buring a hell of a bridge with the UFC in order to gain one part in one movie. Not a smart move.
If he legitimately needs more time to heal and take care of physical issues that is one thing. But saying he is leaving the UFC for hollywood because that is a better career move is just ludicrous.
u still the best rampage!!!!!
Three sides to the story…
Rampage
Dana
The Truth
I can’t wait to hear Dana’s response. I’m sure it will be brutal, then in about a week or two, it will be resolved.
I do, however, think Dana should have been a little more laid back about the A-Team role. It would’ve been a nice bit of publicity for the UFC (I would compare it to Jessica Simpson after Dukes of Hazzard), and as far as I can recall, Rampage was only asking for about a month off.
Dude, we’ve already heard Dana’s side of the story, this is Rampage’s side and the truth is in the middle.
Wow a lot of comments, so what’s 1 more. Been an mma fan for years and i don’t understand Rampage’s decision at all! Your doin it to feed your kid’s, yah i’m sure their starving! Rampage is doin this for money and that’s it. Rampage should not be insulting the fans that do pay his bills!! The UFC would not have a dime if it wasn’t for the fans buying tickets, PPV’s ext. Damn Jackson is an asshole, and i’m just sorry i didn’t get to see Rashad Kick his STREET THUG ASS!!!
I’m totally with ya JTW!
Dude what’s up with all you guys talking about this like it’s a joke and just talking ****? This is huge and very serious dudes. It’s not only the #2 guy @ LHW who has become a legend in his own right, but it’s what he said about the president of the biggest mma organization. This isn’t the discussion i expected.
Being a rampage fan this sucks. But being a UFC fan, all this about dana white kind of bullying the fighters into what he thinks will be best sucks too. I’m not saying everything rampage said was true but i’m just saying this whole situation is wierd.
We don’t really know whats the what here.
Probably the truest thing I read here is when GarRule posted about the 3 POVs of this issue.
We all know Dana can be a di<k, but lets remember that without this guy [and his partners] our sport is back in the trailer parks and truckstops of flyover country, banned from PPV, and still illegal in something like 44 states.
Certainly Rampage Jackson deserves more respect, just like Randy Couture did a few years ago when he walked away from the UFC, but any fighter should know going in that Dana White is an odd duck when it comes to that sort of thing, so, y'know.
This is the second time if memory serves a big name in the promotion has walked away citing not just money issues, and an alleged movie career, but a disturbing lack of respect from a man who not only is making money off of you, but a guy you could turn into a bloody pulp without breaking a sweat.
In the so-called real world that might not mean much, but for a Vegas guy and combat sports promoter like Dana White, he should probably be a bit more savvy on how to handle tempermental a$$-smashers like Rampage.
And yeah, this is a big deal, but only to a point. The UFC is well past the stage where the loss of a single fighter, no matter how big a draw he might be, hurts the promotion.
Rashad Evans will ascend to the #2 spot, the other 205ers will get a bump, and Hendo almost certainly will jump back to 205.
Also, I have to think that Anderson Silva also sees an opportunity, maybe to face Evans, but we won't know more until the Rua-Machida throwdown drops.
Finally, I think we can all agree that this is pretty bizarre, all things considered. I think we can also all agree that we haven't heard probably half of the truth, either from Rampage or Dana White, nor are we likely to anytime soon.
At this point, especially if you're a Rampage supporter, it just doesn't make sense to get too worked up over this thing until all the results are in, so to speak…
I’m finding it interesting that a lot of people wanted to jump on Brock Lesnar for flipping off the fans (literally), but now that Rampage has verbally given the fans the finger, a lot of people are saying “yeah Rampage, you tell ‘em” and whatever.
Talk about a double standard.
i totally agree justin i was mad at lesnar for flipping the fans off but i can honestly say he at least lesnar is a fighter and atleast he apologized rampage did way worse by saying what have us fans done for him….hmm last time i checked we were the ones buying his ppv’s, his tshirts, his fight gear..this guy is a moron
That turned me off more than anything. Certainly seems like a double standard. If one of my fav fighters pulled some sh!t like that I wouldn’t back him anymore and I’d tell every fan I know how much of a d!ck he is.
to quote star wars: revenge of the sith
“I don’t know you anymore. Rampage, you’re breaking my heart! You’re going down a path I can’t follow.”
big rampage fan but will not b seeing any movie he ever does. sigh
as for his fighting career idk well hafta wait and see. i was gonna order 107 solely for the rampage v rashad fight no matter how the card turned out(im not one of those fans who r like this card sux im not ordering it cuz id order every card but moneys tight so gotta pick and choose). now if he comes back it better b as stacked as ufc 92 was cuz i will no longer order a card simply to see rampage. not after this mess
In all fairness to Rampage, I suppose its possible that he’s read the A-Team script, done his research in terms of the producers, the budget, and the backing both on and off the books. It’s also possible that Rampage has spent hours trolling thehollywoodreporter.com or some other insider site and made the objective determination with his management that the A-Team movie is going to be the next bog 80’s re-launch, sort of like Transformers and GI Joe. Subsequently after culling all of this information and research the considered opinions is that Hollywood becomes a better career path for Rampage than fights with men like Evans, Silva and Machida.
Or Rampage is just being a baby like Dana White says.
Dana might not be so snarky in a year or so when A-Team opens with like 50 mil at the box office, and winds up being the first installment of a projected half-billion dollar commodity launch, again, like Transformers and GI Joe are reported to be…
Transformers and GI Joe are both a completely different genre. Men, women and children of all ages go to see these type of “family” movies. Don’t expect A-Team to come close to generating those kinds of numbers and I’ll eat my keyboard if it turns into some type of franchise in its own right.
Hey, natural, I’m trying to cut Rampage a break here.
The guy obviously retired from the sport today because he knew the rest of the TUF 10 season was going to embarrass the He11 out of him.
Actually, I’m not betting on A-Team to do much, but I’m trying to give Jackson a semi-fair shake.
I’m guessing he’s probably getting sh!t-awful advice from some agent or manager, and its feeding right into his natural tempermentality.
And I’ll probably be right along side of you chowing down on that keyboard panini before we hit the premiere of A-Team 4:More Sh!t Blowing Up!
Personally Rampage is my favorite fighter in UFC. We can’t really be surprised by these accussations, because we’ve heard them all before. I seen inside MMA were they’ve discussed Dana and UFC’s tactics. You guys bashing and call Rampage a liar, well was Tito lying and whining also?
Considering Tito admits that he was never actually planning to fight anywhere else, but was leading along other promotions to try to garner negotiational leverage with the UFC during his whole time away from the UFC… I think it’s possible he was lying.
I think if TITO made that statement he was lying. I saw Tito on HDnet talking about how Dana and UFC manipulate fighters.