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Aug
23
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: From Moutain Top to Rock Bottom
August 23, 2008 |
It has been a very troublesome time in the life of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. In the month of July, Rampage lost his title, got arrested, and was hospitalized. Before all of that, Jackson was on top of the world, but in just a matter of weeks he has gone from cloud nine to rock bottom. This leaves many MMA fans wondering; what is next for Rampage Jackson? Before we answer that question, let’s take a look back these recent events in order.
As most everybody knows, Rampage’s troubles started on the 5th of July, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin. It was Jackson’s first fight inside the octagon in roughly nine months. Jackson put on a large amount of weight during his time off and it was noticeable during this last season of The Ultimate Fighter. It has been mentioned by UFC President Dana White that Rampage was on a strange diet to cut the weight and it may have played a part in Jackson’s performance and also hindered his mental state.
This leads us to the next event in this twisted tale, which involves Jackson being arrested at gunpoint. Rampage was arrested in Costa Mesa, CA just ten days later for his involvement in a bizarre hit-and-run on the highway. He tried to outrun the police, but he eventually gave up after blowing a tire. Rampage was deemed unfit to be booked at the local jail and was taken to a hospital instead. His bail was set at $25,000 and received numerous charges. The story however, does not end here. The very next night Irvine police came to Jackson’s home after friends called saying they were concerned for his well-being. Jackson was admitted to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Unfortunately, there is more. The woman that Jackson hit with his pickup truck during the hit-and-run was pregnant and had a miscarriage shortly after the accident. Rampage didn’t receive any additional charges. With Jackson seeming to have hit rock bottom, where does he go from here?
In the week leading up to UFC 87 in Minneapolis, MN, UFC President Dana White did a video blog every day before the event. Almost every single one of those videos featured Rampage Jackson in them. Rampage seemed to be in great spirits and said he was feeling much better. Dana White seems pretty convinced that all of Jackson’s bizarre behavior stemmed from that diet he was on. It looks like White is trying to get Rampage out in the public eye again and hoping to divert from all of that bad press Jackson has had as of late.
This is just speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Rampage in the octagon one more time this year or early in 2009. There are still more legal issues to deal with, but if all goes well for Jackson, he’ll be working his way back into title contention sooner rather than later. It’s very unfortunate to see a man who has entertained the MMA world with his brutal fighting style and his colorful personality, have worked so hard for many years to reach the top of the mountain and watch it all fall apart in a matter of weeks. Hopefully, it will all work out for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the end. I’m sure that many MMA fans would like to go back to seeing the Rampage Jackson who entertained us with his violent slams inside of the ring and his playful attitude outside of the ring.
