Rampage Jackson Doesn't Love MMA
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2/24/2010 3:30 PM ET By Michael David Smith
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- Michael David Smith
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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will return to the Octagon after more than a year away from mixed martial arts when he takes on Rashad Evans in May at UFC 114. But just because he's coming back doesn't mean he has a passion for his sport. In an interview with Fighters Only, Jackson said that he likes acting better than MMA, and he looks forward to leaving the UFC once he fulfills his contractual obligations.
"I don't know how much I ever loved the fight game, to be honest," Jackson said. "Most fighters these days join fighting because they became a fan of it. When I started I wasn't a fan of it -- I've been a fighter my whole life. I just thought it was a blessing that God could give me something I could make money doing. When I was a kid I got tired of fighting. I didn't want to be a fighter anymore. But I was just good at it. It was just something that was in my blood. Some people are fighters."
Jackson, who delayed his fight with Evans by six months so he could film The A-Team, said that the UFC's refusal to embrace his acting aspirations took away some of his enjoyment of being involved in the company.
"I like it a lot less than I used to," Jackson said. "It's no secret, everybody knows about the falling out I had with the UFC, and it's just unfortunate that they're trying to blame me for doing this movie."
Although the UFC steadfastly supported Jackson in 2008, when he was arrested on felony reckless driving charges, he said he doesn't believe the UFC has treated him particularly well. For example, he said he wanted to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and that UFC President Dana White first told him he could, then told him he couldn't.
"They've said some things and done some things I don't agree with -- that's not the way I do business," Jackson said. "I'm a loyal person so I take care of people who take care of me, but people who don't take care of me, I don't take care of them. So I'm done with the UFC. They can't ask me for anymore favors. Nothing. I just want to finish my contract and get out of there, do my own thing. Dana lied to me. He told me I didn't have to fight Rashad, I could fight Machida. I did the show and then after that he told me I had to fight Rashad."
Jackson is a great fighter, and MMA fans love watching him fight. But hearing him talk about how he doesn't love the sport and doesn't like the UFC, it's hard not to think his fighting days are numbered.
Read More: MMA Videos UFC Rampage+Jackson, RampageJackson, Rashad+Evans, RashadEvans, UFC+114, Ufc114
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Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Maybe he will go to Strikeforce and fight against Mousasi. The UFC stabbed him in the back ... then hung him out to dry. I wouldn't want anything to do with them if I was him either. 'Page was supposed to fight Rashad for the title, but had a broken jaw so Machida got the title shot. Then, the UFC (as he states) lied and didn't give him the title shot against Machida. It's a bunch of garbage. I'm sure everyone here will defend the UFC as is always the case when someone speaks out against them.
^
He's my favorite fighter too. He's the reason I started watching MMA. I saw the Arona-bomb and that just opened my eyes to MMA.
I hate how MMA media and the UFC has almost villified rampage into being a "bad " guy for doing this movie. This is a huge opportunity for him. It's not like he's dong Scorpion King 2. A-Team is a huge movie with A-list stars. Only a food would deny such a chance. Dana needs to understand that Rampage is looking out for himself, and for when he is done fighting. This movie could be a stepping stool to other things. I truly believe Rampage could have a future in the movie industry as comic actor or an action star (like the Rock did).
Even if he doesn't "love" fighting anymore, it's not like he won't be motivated to beat Rashad up. This has been a long rivalry and Rampage definitely wants the K.O. I'm hoping Rampage will finish his contract, beat everyone in his way, and have a good career in whatever he chooses be it films or fighting,
im sure that was the case...Dana White saw the back and forth action between Rampage and Rashad and knew it'd be a huge PPV draw. UFC is motivated by money and only money, and I definitely don't blame him for wanting to get a paycheck and not receive all the injuries and damage to his body. Some people have been fighting inside and outside of the ring or octagon because they had no other choice, and now they do. Rampage is my favorite fighter, but he's going to do what makes him happy, and puts food on the table. I hope he wh00ps Rashads ass, then UFC begs him to come back.
Rampage is a money grubber, at this point his entire being is money. That's the only reason why he's even going to finish his contract because all he sees are $$$ and why pass up one big payday before his movie career "takes off".
I wonder if the movie studios will bail him out if he has another episode of running people over again?
Where would Rampage be without the UFC? Probably in jail after his car chase extravaganza. Almost all of the TUF coaches fight each other, not a big surprise there, so he shouldn't have been so shocked. He has become a primadonna, fight and dominate Rashad, make good money, then fight Machida...it's that simple.
This quote tells the whole story about Rampage:
"Dana lied to me. He told me I didn’t have to fight Rashad, I could fight Machida. I
did the show and then after that he told me I had to fight Rashad."
but all we have to do is go back to May, 2009
where he said:
“I had my mind set to fight Evans,” said Jackson. “I was actually there coaching (at UFC 98) trying to get him to win the fight. I want Evans he got in my face (at UFC 96), right after my fight. That was the wrong time to get in my face.”
When he chose Rashad over Machida.
"They told me I could fight whoever and I had my mind set I would fight Evans," Jackson said 5/28/2009. This is what jackson said back then and now he is trying to say that the ufc screwed him. The guy is out of his mind, maybe he should go read some of his interviews so that he can get his story straight.
Rampage is a Chump, he should have called it quits after beating Iceman. Another weak azz
MAn Rampage is full of s*** all you that are fans of his hate evans but evans was the only one who was willing to fight the whole time. be mad a the ufc the guy is a fighter he suppose to fight he shoulda shut up and fought evans he cries way too much... then on top of that he talked and never fought evans .. dislike evans all you want he was the only real one in this whole dispute .. rampage is a fake. why do you think all the black fighters dislike him?he s fake and full of it. i cant wait to see evans knock that fake. he talked all that shit and backed out no excuse period any on the streets know that if you talk all thatyou better do all u can to back it up , why does he have "rampage street" on his arm, he is not street by anymeans.
Rampage seems like a really down to earth guy, and he was hilarious on TUF. He'll probably keep fighting outside of UFC. I'm sure strikeforce would love to have him.
The problem was Rampage took the TUF series that would lead to a fight with Rashad.
I don't know how it is Dana's fault or the UFC. He was going to fight Rashad then the winner fough Machida. It was simple.But he broke his agreement to fight Rashad to do the movie.
not for nothing, as dana white only appears to have loyalty to the company and his bosses (which doesn't make him a bad guy), but dana white publicly stood by and supported rampage when he led police on a crazy pursuit where, correct me if I'm wrong, had a part in causing the death of an unborn child in a pregnant woman?
Don't know about you, but whatever dana white's intentions were, he stood by and supported rampage, which is a helluva lot more than most bosses would do in that situation.
Actually, you are wrong. The DA's Office officially announced that Rampage didn't cause the fetus to die.
Farrah Emami, Spokesperson for the DA's office said “We reviewed all the medical records and spoke with the victim's physician, and the evidence showed that the loss of the fetus was not related to or a result of the crash caused by the defendant".[52]
he may not love the fight game but he sure does love the fame game. how did he become famous again?....oh yeah, fighting.
bradley cooper will get another high profile role. rampage wont. good riddance to an unstable, mushmouth hypocrite (yet a very strong, exciting and talented fighter) who only thinks about his fame.
Rampage Jackson is forgetting some,important facts here. He agree to fight Rasard Evans in his hometown,and didn't. THE UFC stood by him during his legal trouble. Now he's going too retire again once,he's finish fighting out his UFC contract. At the end of the day Jackson,wil be in the UFC. He's not going to make enough money,doing movies or going too" StrikeFarce". Compared too what he's going to make in the UFC...
how many more fights does he have under his current UFC contract...is Machida not an option if Rashad is disposed of?? doesnt sound as though his heart is really in the game any more though does it?
here is the problem i have with celebrities, (athletes, actors, musicians, politicians, radio and tv people, etc....)
when they complain, they always say how hard what they are doing is.
how difficult their life is. how tough things are,how thankless other people are, blah blah.
you know what hard is....showing up day after day working the mundane-ality of a "regular/normal" job.
you want to know what real stress is.....not knowing if your going to have a job tomorrow.
the people that have "made it", celebrities, should truly just be grateful for what they have.
there are so many inconsistancies with rampage's words that it comes off sounding whiny.
big deal, so the ufc wanted you to live up to your end of the bargain and fight shad and then a movie deal came along. and what did you do, you took the movie deal. you did the role and now you fight shad, you got "your" way. what is the big f'n crybaby deal?
so what! you had to stand up to your boss...big deal???
you did and you won.
and now your whining about it.
99.9% people on this earth don't have that priviledge to be able to do that.
if we did do that, we would be fired.
page, you've become a typical whiny celebrity. but, your fans will still love and follow and rationalize for you. just like the weak-minded, easily-led people that think mj was a great person, that was just misunderstood. or that think their favorite politician is honest and ethical.
page, you also say/whine/complain, that you've passed up other roles.....i have one question to that....why?
once again, i just wish people would think for themselves.
im a big rampage fan and i know he's looking out for himself but he can't forget dana and the ufc saved his ass when he went on that road rampage. He says he looks out for people who look out for him well if the ufc wasn't looking out for him then i don't know wtf he considers looking out for ppl. I also remember him clearly stating he wants rashad even if he doesn't have the belt and at that point he doesn't even care about the title all he wants to do is fight rashad. I'd hate to see him lose because he doesn't give a s*** anymore but I believe that may be what happens.
I just hope he shuts Rashad up and finally MDS can clue in and take his garbage a$$ off his top ten p4p list.
I've had enough of this stupid drama, I genuinely don't give a s***.
He will definitely have to lose a bunch of weight for the fight, judging by how big he was at 110 and he'll definitely have to change his outlook.
I really find it sad how all us MMA fans are actually buying into this crap, and I'm just as guilty as the next guy. Let's just get it over with. Hopefully Rashad gets killed in a car fire before the fight I hate that guy