Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is looking to settle some unfinished business before calling time on his combat sports career.
Jackson has forged an illustrious résumé across multiple promotions, collecting wins over the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida in the UFC, and Kevin Randleman and Murilo Rua under the banner of Pride Fighting Championships.
After an unceremonious split from the MMA leader, Jackson most recently plied his trade in the Bellator cage. The 45-year-old hasn’t competed since a disappointing knockout loss at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237 in 2019.
But while that result and the lengthy layoff since has left many concluding that Jackson’s career in combat sports is likely over, the former UFC champion is looking to make a comeback in the near future.
During a recent appearance on the No Jumper podcast with Adam22, Jackson spoke about his plans for a return, noting that it almost certainly won’t be coming under the Bellator banner.
“When I do fight… I probably won’t go back to Bellator,” Jackson said. “I don’t think Bellator want anything to do with me after my last fight. My last fight was a flop. It was just really bad. it was the last fight on my contract, and I don’t think they’d take me back.”
Given his age, “Rampage” has set his sights on a specific type of bout — grudge matches.
Rampage Jackson’s Hit List Isn’t Empty Yet
Further into the conversation, Jackson named a few individuals who he feels still require an “ass-kicking.” And given his lengthy career, which has spanned 52 fights across over 23 years, the Memphis native isn’t short on rivals.
Three of them came to mind, two of which Jackson has faced a combined six times during his professional career. While he’s yet to face the third, their rivalry was born during the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, coached by “Rampage” and Rashad Evans.
“I’d like to do some grudge matches, since I’m old and stuff. There’s a couple guys I owe some ass-kickings to,” Jackson noted. “For one, Wanderlei (Silva). Me and him, we fought four times, we’re 2-2. I would like to box him or something different. Then Marvin Eastman, I owe him a rubber match. We’re 1-1. And a guy from The Ultimate Fighter, Darrill Schoonover. The guy I gave the nickname, ‘Titties.’ He hates me.”
Jackson initially went two down in his series with former PRIDE middleweight champion Silva, falling to knockouts in 2003 and 2004 under the Japanese promotion’s banner. The American later leveled the score, stopping the Brazilian at UFC 92 in 2008 and a decade later at Bellator 206.
Jackson had half as many bouts with former K-1 kickboxer and UFC fighter Eastman. “Rampage” lost via unanimous decision the first time out in the King of the Cage promotion. The result marked his third professional fight almost 23 years ago. With Eastman exacting revenge under the UFC banner in 2007, there remains unfinished business between the two.
The third fighter Jackson mentioned, Schoonover, competed on Team Rashad during TUF 10. “The Boss” struck a rivalry with the opposing coach throughout the series, with Jackson frequently targeting his appearance. Both men expressed a desire to fight in the years that followed, including while Jackson competed in Bellator.
Who would you like to see Quinton “Rampage” Jackson face if he makes a combat sports return?
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