UFC Twitter universe is abuzz over Rampage Jackson saying on his web site that he's finished with fighting and leaving the UFC because the organization isn't supporting his acting career, and that's how we begin our latest UFC Twitter mailbag.We then move on to an interesting question about Dan Henderson, and to the issue of whether fighters are slipping in the Octagon. Your questions and my answers for our latest UFC Twitter mailbag are below.
munche: Leaving the org that puts him on a show to hype the hometown fight that he handpicked to avoid Machida? Classless move imo.
That's a fair point: The UFC wanted to use this season of The Ultimate Fighter to heavily hype Rampage vs. Rashad Evans in Memphis, which is Rampage's hometown. It obviously hurt the UFC when Rampage pulled out of the fight.
As to whether Rampage is ducking UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Rampage said on his web site that he isn't -- and that he's angry with the UFC for putting him in a position where fans think he is. Rampage says he'd gladly fight Machida, and it was the UFC that wanted him to fight Evans.
I understand why you and a lot of fans think it's classless of Rampage to say he's walking away from the UFC, but I also understand why Rampage feels he's been slighted by UFC President Dana White belittling his acting aspirations. I expect White and Jackson to sit down together, work out their problems, and get Rampage back into the Octagon in 2010.
Nitrayn: If Vitor Belfort gets the 185-pound title shot, why not give Henderson the light heavyweight title shot against the Machida/Shogun winner? Henderson's fight with Rampage was closer than his fight with Silva.
This is an interesting idea: Everyone has been so focused on whether Henderson has earned another shot at the middleweight title that we've forgotten to ask whether he has earned another shot at the light heavyweight title. For a long time we all assumed the Evans-Rampage winner would get the next light heavyweight title shot, but now that Evans-Rampage doesn't seem to be happening any time soon, maybe what we need is Evans-Henderson, with the winner of that fight getting the next light heavyweight title shot.
christianobedm: Is it me or are guys slipping more today than ever in the Octagon?
I noticed some fighters slipping in the Octagon at UFC 103 as well. I'm not sure if the sponsors' logos have a different feel under the fighters' feet than the rest of the canvas, but it looks to me like something that could present problems.
Want to be part of our next UFC Twitter mailbag? Post a question or comment on Twitter.com, and be sure to start it with @MichaelDavSmith.
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