Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (35-11 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is returning to the promotion’s famed octagon.
UFC broadcasters Jon Anik and Brian Stann revealed during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 58 broadcast that after three fights under the Bellator MMA banner, Jackson is now once again a UFC fighter.
“I just want to come back and come to the big show,” Jackson said on a pre-taped piece during UFC Fight Night 58. “The thing about ‘Rampage’ is, ‘Rampage’ always comes to excite the fans. I just want to give them exciting fights.”
According to a release from the UFC, the Memphis native’s re-signing comes after Jackson terminated his contract with his previous promoter and met with UFC officials to finalize a new deal.
“It hasn’t really hit me, but it sounds like most people are happy for me to come back,” Jackson told UFC.com. “I feel like I can put on some exciting fights. I don’t feel like there are a whole lot of people out there putting it on the line the way I do.”
Jackson expects to be back in action in the first half of 2015.
But as soon as the news was announced on the air, Bellator President Scott Coker said in a Twitter response that the promotion will contest Jackson’s move back to the UFC.
“Let us be clear that ‘Rampage’ is under an exclusive contract with Bellator. We will protect our contractual rights,” Coker said on the social media site.
As rumors of Jackson’s return to the UFC began to circulate on Friday, Coker told MMAjunkie via text message that if Jackson indeed was signing a deal with the UFC, a legal proceeding could be forthcoming.
“Sometimes you have to go to court to protect your rights!” Coker said via text on Friday.
Jackson began his career in 1999 and signed with PRIDE in 2001, where he quickly became one of the promotion’s biggest and brightest stars. He never did wear gold for the promotion, as he came up short in a 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Final bout, as well as an October 2004 bid for the PRIDE middleweight belt, both times losing to Wanderlei Silva.
Jackson would eventually make his way to the UFC following the collapse of PRIDE, and “Rampage” made an immediate impact by scoring a 2007 knockout of Chuck Liddell to claim the UFC light heavyweight title. He would go on to defend the belt against Dan Henderson before losing it a five-round battle with Forrest Griffin.
Jackson would go 4-1 in his next five fights before losses to Jon Jones, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira saw him leave the organization after his contract was up.
In 2013, Jackson signed with Bellator MMA and secured victories over Joe Beltran, Christian M’Pumbu and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. He has been inactive since May, but Jackson recently took to Twitter to announce he was anxious to get back into the cage.
I’m ready to get back in the cage again..I never thought I would say this but I miss training. http://t.co/4LxFUAWGpp
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) December 15, 2014
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