Rampage claims he’s ‘done fighting’ in UFC

**Krobar** · **Rampage claims he’s ‘done fighting’ in UFC -** 09-24-2009, 02:47 AM

I think its BS. He aint gonna quit imo

Quote:

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is no longer part of the UFC’s “A-Team,” according to a post on his blog.

Jackson, one of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars, wrote “I’m done fighting” in a post on his official blog and expressed displeasure with UFC president Dana White.

White, who bailed Jackson out of jail last year after an incident in which Jackson was driving his truck on the wrong side of the street, was angry with Jackson for accepting a role as B.A. Baracus, made famous by Mr. T on NBC, in “The A-Team” movie. Jackson pulled out of a planned Dec. 12 fight with Rashad Evans because it conflicted with the movie’s filming schedule.

In his post, Jackson wrote of a series of disagreements with management, which he said began shortly after he signed with the UFC. He said he was rushed into a championship fight with Chuck Liddell in 2007 before he was known by American fans. He said after the win over Liddell, the UFC arranged a fight with Dan Henderson without asking him and then pressured him earlier this year into fighting Evans instead of taking a championship shot against Lyoto Machida.

Jackson said he wanted to take the movie role because he used to watch the television show with his father and it brought back fond memories.

“Dana went on the Internet and mocked me because of that and I still did nothing,” Jackson wrote. “Dana and I finally talked and we made up and then after that he went back on the Internet and said some [expletive] and he was talking bad about the movie, when information is not even supposed to be released … My body has been getting so many different injuries that I won’t be able to fight until my 40s and 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.”

White declined to comment Tuesday. He had made no secret of his displeasure with Jackson for taking the role and said prior to UFC 103 on Saturday that he had not been speaking with Jackson.

But White told reporters at the postfight news conference that he and Jackson had mended fences and were speaking.

“We kind of made up,” White said. “We’re going to figure it out. [Jackson] wants the Rashad fight. He’s in Vancouver doing this movie. It is what it is. Now we just have to figure out when. We’ll see what happens.”

Jackson and Evans are coaches on the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which airs on Spike TV. They were scheduled to fight Dec. 12 in Jackson’s hometown of Memphis, Tenn., at UFC 107.

The UFC’s stance has been that it has offered Jackson a choice after his victory over Keith Jardine at UFC 96 in March. He would have been able to fight Machida for the title at UFC 98 or to fight Evans. Jackson was angry that Evans came into the cage after his win over Jardine and Jackson reportedly chose the Evans fight.

At a media day in June in Las Vegas to promote the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Jackson said he took the opportunity to coach on the show because of the exposure it would give him. He was clearly angry that some fans suggested he was afraid of Machida and said he wanted to fight Machida after he met Evans.

But in his post Tuesday, Jackson said that wasn’t the case. At the time Jackson defeated Jardine at UFC 96 in March, Evans held the UFC’s light heavyweight belt. Jackson fought Jardine with a jaw injury that would later require surgery and he declined to fight Evans in May.

Instead, Machida got the bout and knocked Evans out to claim the title. After that fight, White announced that Jackson had chosen to fight Evans and the two agreed to meet at UFC 107 after the conclusion of TUF.

Jackson supported that position publicly in numerous interviews but wrote in his blog Tuesday that White told him what to say.

“ … When Rashad got knocked out [by Machida at UFC 98], 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,” Jackson wrote. “After I signed the contract, Dana then changes his mind and says I have to fight Rashad and even told me what to say in the press and so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that, I still never complained and I did it all.”

~~•DOOMSTA•~~ · 09-24-2009, 10:29 AM

this might be true ..,,i was looking for more info on it and lots of peeps are saying he is packing his bags ...

**Krobar** · 09-24-2009, 10:44 AM

He might pack his shit and actually bail, but then his ego is going to kick in and he'll be back.. I'm gonna guarantee this one.

**☆CrumpsBrother☆** · 09-24-2009, 07:39 PM

**☆CrumpsBrother☆** · 09-24-2009, 07:46 PM

**Krobar** · 09-24-2009, 08:59 PM

^^^^^^^^ hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahaha

wutitdo707 · 09-26-2009, 12:02 PM

he aint done

•®ØßŒ®†• · 02:31 PM

i was going to post this a few days ago but bot/google sites werent working for me

but evans said he will fight against thiago silva instead.

Quote:

"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!"

Quote:

Left without an opponent for his next fight when Rampage Jackson walked away from the UFC, Rashad Evans said Wednesday that he expects to fight Thiago Silva next, likely some time in December or early next year.

In an interview with FanHouse, Evans -- the former UFC light heavyweight champion -- said that while nothing is official, he thinks the Silva fight is the best option for himself and the UFC after Rampage decided he'd rather act than fight.

"Thiago Silva is a good fighter, I'd like to fight him and I think he wants to fight me," Evans said. "When I saw him after he fought Keith Jardine, he kind of gave me a nasty look that I interpreted like he wanted to take me on, and I'd like that."

The UFC's light heavyweight division is stacked, and there are a number of potential opponents for Evans, who mentioned Vitor Belfort, Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz as fights he'd like to have. But Evans said his focus is on Thiago Silva.

"I think I match up really well with Thiago Silva," Evans said. "He's a great striker, and I love his focus. He's going to be a challenge, and that's the kind of fight I want."

Still, Evans said that he doesn't think the relationship between the UFC and Jackson is irreparable. He just thinks UFC President Dana White needs to sit down with Jackson and talk face to face.

"It's going to take Dana speaking with Rampage," Evans said. "There was a communication breakdown between them. The UFC stuck by Rampage when they didn't have to, and Rampage has also done a lot for the UFC, and they need to clear the air and get back on the same page. Dana and Rampage are friends and they should talk."

Although Evans said he developed a personal rivalry with Jackson during their time coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter, he said he didn't begrudge Jackson the decision to act.

"Rampage is funny, he's charismatic, he's got timing like a comedian," Evans said. "He's good on camera. If you've got those talents, and you've got an opportunity, you've got to capitalize on that."

Evans acknowledged that he was offered a fight with Randy Couture, but he said he didn't think that fight made sense.

"That was a match-up that I didn't think was good for me," Evans said. "He's 46 years old and coming off back-to-back losses as a heavyweight, and I feel like beating him wouldn't move me up the rankings as a light heavyweight. Plus I would have had to take that fight on short notice, in England, and it felt like I'm being punished because Rampage took a movie."

But whatever he does next, Evans said his ultimate focus is re-claiming the UFC light heavyweight title.

"What I loved about the Rampage fight was if I won it I would get the next title shot," Evans said. "I want to go get my belt."

**☆CrumpsBrother☆** · 09-26-2009, 04:11 PM

•®ØßŒ®†• · 09-26-2009, 04:40 PM

this is hella gay though, i hope dana throws enough money at him to fight evans, but for right now another one of my favorite fighters leaves ufc, crocop retired as well not officially but said he was going to.