Weeks of banter and confusion over whether UFC light heavyweight champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones would be fighting former champion and teammate Rashad Evans finally came to close after UFC 130.
Following a victory over Matt Hamill, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was announced as the number one contender in the division. However, even more confusion arose following Rampage’s announcement that he had a fractured left hand going into the May 28 main event. Now it seems the mystery is nearly behind us.
On Wednesday, Diego Sanchez, who will be taking on former welterweight champion Matt Hughes, posted on Twitter “Fighting in Denver, Sept. 24. Mark your calendars!”
This came four days after Jon Jones Tweeted to Diego “honored to be on the same card as you.. Time to earn it again baby!! #Earnit”
Connecting the pieces of the puzzle, the teammates look to be fighting together at UFC 135, a yet to be announced event which takes place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
Because of Rampage’s injury, the status of this fight could remain unofficial for a while. Dana White declared Lyoto Machida as the replacement for Rampage in case he is unable to go.
This will mark the first UFC event to take place in Denver since the beginning stages of the company. While two events took place in nearby Broomfield, the last event held in Denver was UFC 7.5 in December of 1995.
The UFC 135 fight card also features Sanchez taking on UFC hall of famer and former champion Matt Hughes.
For the latest UFC 135 news and UFC 135 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Jon Jones
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I think rampage’s hand will be ok and i think jones will be ready too. This is the match I want!!! Make it official!!
Wow the Pepsi Center is going to awesome!!! Even when in the nose bleeds there is still a good view of the action. They easily sold out broomfield when Bones smashed in Vera’s face. I just might have to unload a whole paycheck to see rampage get his belt back…hopefully.
@bfree
I agree, it will be electric @ Pepsi..I am looking forward to attending this event
I want to see this bout but I’m not too sure if the mile high city is the best place to have it. I think it will be a disadvantage to Rampage, but if that’s where it will be than he better make sure his cardio is the best it’s ever been.
altitude is overrated, it really doesnt make a difference. But anyhow people think it does, so why not have it where the elements are a challenge for a title fight? makes it much more exciting… better be in shape to earn that belt.
After Rua beats up forrest he should get a rematch for his belt ……. I think the injury and the rust were not in favor with Rua against jones and with the change in training camps he will be awsome again .
I know some people are going to b!tch about Jackson getting the title shot instead of Rashad Evans, but bear in mind “number one contender” isn’t determined just by what happens in the Octagon.
Rampage Jackson is WAY more promotable than Rashad Evans, so, y’know…
^Rashad also chose NOT to wait until jones healed because he wanted to get back in the cage. That leaves the other top guys in Shogun,Lyoto and of course Rampage to fight the champ. Shogun’s scheduled to end Forrest’s life, and lyoto lost to rampage so if we to the MMAth correctly, rampage is the logical choice to challenge jones at the momoent.
Besides the marketability, rampage is more deserving of the shot than lyoto machida is. at least right now he is.
This card looks great so far!
I am so glad that Rashad is not getting a chance at Jones (at least for now), because I really hate that guy. I am picking Jones to win over Rampage just because of his ability to keep people on the outside and punish them from there. Look at what he did to Shogun. Did Shogun even show up for that fight, because it did not look like it. Since, Liddell lost the title, nobody has defended it; except, for Machida’s “win” over Shogun during their first match-up. Rampage, Forrest, Rashad, Machida, and Shogun have all held the title and lost it in their first title defense, but Jones will be the champ for a while.
Wrong Rampage defended it once against Dan Henderson and won then he lost to Forrest..alot ppl forget that tho
Rampage is going to get absolutely destroyed, I can’t even believe they’re doing this. Rampage has gone from exciting and powerful to a decision bound shit show. Jones is on such a higher level that it is truly unreal they’re making this the fight.
They are feeding the machine that is jones with big names that cant cut it like they used to, so the jones hype reach anderson and gsp levels
Didn’t rampage beat henderson after liddell to unify the titles?
Rampage is gona get destroyed did u see the shogun fight with jones shogun was throwin himself on the floor trying to summit jones that where jones has an advantage jones is not a powerful puncher hes not a good striker hes good on the floor with the elbows and controlling ppl rampage is not easy to put a beating on and rampage is not gona give up you guys need to get off jon jones dick the guy isnt god its a fight anybody can beat anybody nobody is unbeatable but i dont expect yall to know cus yall dont fight or do anything but talk shit!!!
Removed duplicate comment. -BSBiz
Rampage’s ‘pride syndrome’ is about to set in – how he’s more marketable than the other guys is beyond me… the LHW division seems kind of weak nowadays…
Rampage Jackson may or may not be suffering from PRIDE syndrome, but if he is he’s holding up a lot better than some other PRIDEful like Mirko CroCop and the Nogs.
As for RJ’s marketability, its all based on his look and personal charisma, which is why he has a Hollywood career [of sorts] waiting on him if he decides to go that route.
And if Hollywood weren’t interested, television would be, as I’m sure Rampage Jackson would put some a$$es in seats for either Vince MacMahon or Hulk Hogan and whoever else runs Impact Wrestling.
The man might not be the most well-rounded or athletically gifted UFC 205er on the roster, but he knows how to sell a fight before an event, and brings it as best as he’s able during the event, and he doesn’t play the b!tch card after an event.
If thats not marketability, I don’t know what is.
As for the UFC 205 weightclass, I’m not sure what your beef is.
Its stacked with marketable names from both the PRIDE and TUF eras, former champions, vicious strikers of all sorts, and the future of the sport, Jon Jones.
He11, this weightclass is so deep that the 2 men the UFC fanbase voted as having the best UFC fight of all time, one of which they stuck on the Undisputed box, aren’t even “in the mix” right now.
Not even the 155ers have the full spectrum of promotability and fight-ability that the 205ers have.
If the weightclass seems “kind of weak” to you, its because almost every fight is contested between 2 of the best 205ers in the sport, whether it be for a title or a title shot or sh!ts and giggles.
Think about it…
;-)
^Besides selling being able to sell himself and his fights, another thing rampage is good at is WINNING! Do i need to post his stats again? :)
Rampage is without question the underdog “older fighter” going up against who people say is “the future”. So i get it. The odds are not on rampages favor. But he has 3 things that Jones SHOULD be worried about.
1.) Wrestling background/experience/skills
2.) Right Hand
3.) Left Hand
Honorable mention- Balls!!
Rampage is not as big of an underdog as people might think he is against Bones. In fact, Im willing to say that Rampage is built to give Jones problems and is the toughest challange that Bones would face in that division. Rampage is a shorter stocker type of fighter that loves to block and counter punch against his apponents and, when it comes to blocking and counterpunching, Rampage is one of the best in the business. The taller Rampage apponent is, the easier it is for him to block his way through an opponents offense putting him right in his opponent face and once he is there,there is no telling what kind of damage he would do. Jones would probably find himself at the bad end of Rampage customary counterpunch frenzy, and with a PSI of 1800 to 2000, that just might end his night.
Bones could definately win the fight but, If I were Jon, I wouldn’d just aggressively go at Rampage like Bones did with the other suckers. Jones Should use his length mainly to jab the shit out of rampage the duration of the match. Always ALWAYS KEEP A GOOD DISTANCE AWAY FROM RAMPAGE. Not to far of a distance where he is at the other side of the cage but jab distance. Rampage would want Jones to rush in like he usually does and if he does, most likely he will fall victim to a couter punch knock out blow or he might just get slammed around the cage.
I want Jones to win. All the other clowns had there chance and they all blew there title defence. There has been no fighter to hold the title for more than one defense since Chuck Liddell and, that was back in 2006. Jones can win but if he doesn’t keep Rampage at a good distance, he will end up like all the rest of the jokers that held the light heavy-weight title.
Rampage or Machida or anyone, who will beat this man in this moment, anderson silva, forget about it
rampage has the ability to knock out anyone in the lhw div however look at what jones did to shogun. Shogun destroyed rampage back in pride, and i know it was a long time ago and rampage has improved, i think that jones will still dominate rampage. The knock is always possible but i dont think rampage will get it.
I just can’t wait to see, what should be a damn good fight!!!
It will b a good fite. Go RAMpage!