Quinton Jackson

At 46 years old, Quinton Jackson has this physical status:

Quinton Ramone "Rampage" Jackson, born June 20, 1978, is an American mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional wrestler currently signed to Bellator MMA.

He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion.

During his time with Pride FC and later in his career as a fighter in Japan, he helped promote MMA's rise to a global audience.

Personal life

Jackson lives in Ladera Ranch, California, and has four children: D'Angelo (otherwise known as Darnell) and Raja from previous marriages, as well as Elijah and Naname Nakia Jackson with his wife, Yuki. Both three boys have the middle name Rampage, while Naname has the middle name Page. Yuki divorced him in 2006 after a paternity test revealed that he had fathered a child, Raja, with another woman in 2000. Jackson and his wife reconciled, but they have since divorced. Jackson is prone to low testosterone levels and testosterone replacement therapy. In 2010, Jackson lived in Merseyside, United Kingdom. He is an avid gamer and enjoys Netflix in his free time.

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Mixed martial arts career

Jackson, who was inspired by the success of other wrestlers in MMA, decided to try his hand at the sport. Jackson claimed a record of 10 victories and 1 loss for a number of smaller American contests, including King of the Cage, Gladiator Challenge, and Dangerzone. Jackson is known for his lifting his opponents and slamming them to the ground. Jackson's winnable first MMA title shot against Rocko Hammerhands Henderson was the start of many upsets.

Jackson was branded by Japan's Pride group as a homeless person in 2001. At Pride 15, Jackson, now a little known fighter, was matched first against fellow wrestler and Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba, who was at the time Pride's most effective domestic fighter. Jackson was forced to miss Sakuraba due to a rear naked choke. Jackson captivated the Japanese audience with his showmanship and admiration for his valiant effort against the much more experienced Sakuraba.

Jackson was invited back to Pride 17 after beating pro-wrestler Alexander Otsuka in a fight for the Battlarts promotion, where he defeated Otsuka's training partner, Yuki Ishikawa. Jackson was disqualified for a low blow against Daijiro Matsui in his next fight.

In successive Pride battles, Jackson defeated Masaaki Satake, Igor Vovchanchyn, Kevin Randleman, Mikhail Illoukhine, and Mikhail Illoukhine. With two wins over kickboxer Cyril Abidi, he also turned kickboxing into kickboxing under K-1 laws. On July 14, 2002, Abidi and Jackson's first kickboxing match took place. Many hoped that Jackson's wild style of striking would not translate into the K-1 ring, fearing that such a schooled and disciplined striker as Abidi would be outclassed. Rather, Jackson dominated Abidi from the start of the game, knocking him down less than a minute into the match. In the first round, Jackson scored a hard underhand right to Abidi's chin, knocking him out at 1:55.

Abidi wanted to prove that his absence from Jackson was not a fluke, and he met him on the Eve Inoki Bom-Ye card later this year, again under K-1 laws. Jackson put a lot of skepticism into rest by defeating Abidi once more, this time via decision. When Jackson returns to full-time MMA competition after he defeated him, it will be his last kickboxing match.

Around this time, Jackson began wishing to win the Pride Middleweight (205 lb/93 kg) title from Wanderlei Silva. Jackson won a split over Murilo Bustamante in the first round of Pride's 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix. Jackson defeated Chuck Liddell in the tournament's semi-finals at Pride Final Conflict 2003 by a corner stoppage, putting him in position to face Silva in the tournament finals that night. After taking Wanderlei Silva down and bloodying him, the referee and Jackson called a stand-up, resulting in a referee stoppage.

Jackson continued his Pride career with a TKO victory over Ikuhisa Minowa at Pride Shockwave 2003. The winner then met Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2004, where he would meet Wanderlei Silva. Arona was trapped in a triangle choke in the first round, but Jackson grabbed Arona and powerbombed him into the canvas, resulting in the KO victory.

Jackson made national news when he announced his convert to Christianity ahead of his match against Silva. Jackson floored Silva in the first round of the tournament, and later scored a takedown that culminated in a string of knees and elbows at the end of the round. Jackson scored another takedown in the second round, but Silva regained control and knocked Jackson out with multiple knee strikes to the head.

Jackson's next two bouts were against Silva's Chute Boxe training camp participants. He gained a split decision over Murilo "Ninja" Rua, but Shogun Rua's younger brother, Shogun Rua, lost TKO soccer kicks to the head.

Jackson was immediately after his loss to Shogun, and was approached by veteran boxing and MMA coach Juanito Ibarra, who saw promise in Jackson's natural skills but viewed his image as a hindrance. Jackson entrusted Ibarra, a fellow born again Christian, with the administrative and preparation directions of his career following a short conversation.

Jackson defeated Hirotaka Yokoi via TKO at Pride 30. In his last fight for Pride, he triumphed over Yoon Dong-Sik at Pride 31 by a unanimous vote.

The World Combat Alliance reported on May 16, 2006, that Jackson had signed the World Fighting Alliance to a multi-fight contract. On July 22, 2006, he defeated Matt Lindland by a split decision at WFA: King of the Streets. "He is a good fighter," Jackson said. "I trained hard." He is a silver medalist in the Olympic Games. He has so much respect for him. "I knew I had to bring it" was the case. He had been caught twice in guillotine choke holds. Jackson was able to get out both times and slammed Lindland a few times before slapping the bridge of his nose with ground and pound on his way to victory.

Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, reported on December 11, 2006, that it had purchased select assets from the World Combat Alliance, which had ceased operations as part of their sales agreement. One of the assets acquired was Jackson's WFA deal.

In an interview with UFC veteran Tito Ortiz, Jackson said it was finally time for him to join the club, and that he did not get there before because of his friendship with UFC fighter Tito Ortiz. Jackson said he did not want to interfere because Ortiz was one of the best actors in the UFC, and that both were fighters in the same weight class.

Jackson made his UFC debut at UFC 67, defeating Marvin Eastman from the octagon.

Jackson defeated UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell in a championship rematch of their 2003 Pride bout at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007. Jackson catches Liddell with a right hook to the jaw, sending him down to the ground, where Jackson landed a few more clean shots before being halted by a referee stoppage at 1:53 seconds to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight championship.

On September 8, 2007, Jackson defeated Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson at UFC 75 in London, England, by a unanimous vote to unify the two groups' titles.

Jackson will be one of the two coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 7 on December 9, 2007, according to Spike TV's Video Game Awards show. Jackson defeated Forrest Griffin, the other coach and number one candidate at UFC 86, at the end of the season. During the performance, Jackson displayed his temper after his troops had repeatedly failed to Team Forrest. Only two of Jackson's original fighters made the cut, while Griffin had 6 of his fighters advance to the semifinals. Amir Sadollah, Team Forrest's pick, defeated Team Rampage's top fighter C.B. in the final. In the first round, Dollaway defeated Armbar by armbar.

He defeated Griffin for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008, but lost a judge's decision. Jackson smacked Griffin in the first round of the tournament two strong power punches and then knocked him down shortly after. Throughout the war, Jackson was tagged by him. Griffin, on the other hand, pushed the fight from start to finish and was much more offensive than Jackson for the majority of the battle, with multiple leg kicks and running Quinton and punches to his head. In the later rounds, Jackson was able to knock Griffin down twice and play his own ground game, effectively executing his signature power bomb. Many took note as Jackson was clearly ill from the leg kicks. Sherdog characterized the next three rounds as "somewhat uneventful," with Jackson aiming for the knockout punch, while Griffin throwing whatever he could with long jabs, leg, and body kicks. Griffin was given a unanimous decision.

Both Griffin and his mentor Randy Couture said they felt the fight was close, and Jackson's mentor, Juanito Ibarra, planned to protest the Nevada State Athletic Commission's unanimous decision after the fight. Nevertheless, after speaking with the commission about his lawsuit, he decided not to file because he was advised that even if the judges' scores were changed to his advantage, the fight would result in a victory for Griffin by a majority decision. Jackson fired his long-serving trainer/manager Ibarra shortly after the fight. Following the match, there were talks of an imminent rematch.

Quinton was arrested in a hit and run accident as well as a high-speed police pursuit in Newport Beach, California, where he later pleaded guilty.

Jackson began preparations for his upcoming fight at UFC 92, which will be against Wanderlei Silva, the only man to beat Jackson twice. Jackson revived his previous losses by knocking Silva out with a brutal left hook in the first round. The match was notable for a tumultuous post-match that had sparked controversy, as Jackson led Silva to the ground with three punches before referee Yves Lavigne called the match off. Silva was unprotected by Yves' second and third punches.

On March 7, 2009, Jackson's next fight was against Keith Jardine at UFC 96. It was revealed before the fight that if Jackson defeated Rashad Evans for the Light Heavyweight Championship, he would face him in the Light Heavyweight Championship, and if he lost Lyoto Machida, he would fight for the title instead. Jackson was then granted unanimous decision. Jackson was on target to win his first appearance, but lingering injuries prevented him from winning. Lyoto Machida fired the title shot and Evans was supposed to protect his belt until the main event, but Jackson said he would like to fight Rashad; however, he had torn ligaments in his jaw that would require surgery and five weeks of no contact; instead, he would want to fight Rashad. Jackson was recalled to face the Machida vs. Evans match, but the match never came to an end.

Jackson started directing opposite former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans in June 2009. The season's premiere on Spike TV on September 16, featuring 16 heavyweight players, including internet street fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson and former NFL players, concluded with the finale set for December 5.

Jackson wrote on his website on September 22, 2009, that he was "done fighting" as a result of UFC maltreatment. Jackson revealed on December 4, 2009, that he would return to the United States to finish his deal and face Rashad Evans. Dana White said at the UFC 107 press conference that if Rashad Evans could beat Thiago Silva at UFC 108, a fight between Evans and Jackson will finally come to fruition.

Jackson was supposed to meet Rashad Evans at UFC 113, but the match was scheduled for May 29, 2010, at UFC 114. Dana White, the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship defense, had confirmed that the war against Rashad Evans would determine who would face Maura Rua in his first UFC Light Heavyweight Championship defense. Jackson lost by unanimous decision to Rashad Evans. Jackson was tagged in the first two rounds and spent the next two rounds falling apart before hitting Evans in the third round, but was unable to finish him.

Dana White, a footballer from March 24, 2010, announced that Jackson has signed a new six-fight contract with the team. On November 20, 2010, Jackson's next fight was against former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 123. In the main event of UFC 123, Jackson met Machida. Jackson came back to win by a tumultuous split decision. The judges' decision was based on UFC president Dana White's belief that Jackson won the first two rounds and no rematch was required.

On May 28, 2011, Jackson was scheduled to face Thiago Silva at UFC 130. Silva, on the other hand, passed a banned drug screen in his UFC 125 post-fight drug test and was replaced by Matt Hamill. Jackson put on a good show by defending the decorated wrestler's takedowns and winning the striking match. He was victorious by a unanimous vote.

On September 24, 2011, he met Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 135. Jackson lost by submission in the fourth round after Jones used a rear-naked choke. Jackson is the first time he has been suspended during his time in the UFC.

On February 26, 2012, Jackson met Ryan Bader at UFC 144. Jackson missed the light heavyweight weight allowance of 206 lbs by 5 lbs; weighing in at 211 pounds for UFC 144. He cited a training injury that barred him from doing road work. Bader paid the price at catchweight and was granted 20% of Jackson's purse. Jackson lost by a majority vote for the first time; it was the first time he had suffered two consecutive losses. After losing to Bader, Jackson announced that he was leaving the UFC. He had intended to face former Pride rival Shogun Rua in his last UFC match, but decided against double knee surgery.

At UFC 153, Jackson was supposed to face Glover Teixeira on October 13, 2012. However, Jackson canceled due to a back injury and was replaced by Fábio Maldonado.

On January 26, 2013, Jackson met Teixeira and lost by a unanimous vote. Fox 6 is a cable television network.

Jackson had signed a multi-year contract with Spike TV, Bellator MMA, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, announced on June 4, 2013. During a press conference, he said he might challenge the heavyweight division.

At Bellator 106, Jackson was supposed to face former training partner Tito Ortiz and fellow UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz on November 2nd. However, Ortiz sustained a neck injury and was forced to withdraw from his match with Jackson on October 25, Bellator reported.

Jackson made his Bellator debut on November 15, 2013 at Bellator 108, where he met Joey Beltran. After losing Beltran with a left-right hook combo and following up with another right hand on the ground, the game was called off with just 1 second remaining in round 1.

In the Season 10 Light Heavyweight Tournament at Bellator 110, Jackson met former Bellator Champion Christian M'Pumbu on February 28, 2014. He won by knockout in the first round.

In the tournament final for a title shot on May 17, 2014 at Bellator 120, Jackson met Muhammed Lawal. He won the fight by unanimous decision. During the pre-fight weigh-in staredown, Jackson was fined $10,000 by the Mississippi Athletic Commission for his shove at Lawal. According to MAC Jon Lewis, he was going to pull Jackson out of the fight for insulting him due to the imposed fine.

During the main card broadcast of UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway, it was announced that Jackson had signed a new contract to return to the UFC on December 20, 2014. Bellator CEO Scott Coker said Jackson was still under Bellator's employment, and the team would investigate court action to ensure that it was so. Bellator did not honor his contract, according to Jackson, who is the reason he signed with the NFL.

On April 25, 2015, Jackson was supposed to meet Fábio Maldonado at UFC 186. Jackson was suspended from the card on April 7, however, after a New Jersey Superior Court judge suspended him from participating in the UFC because it was alleged that he broke a deal signed in June 2013. A judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey's Appellate Division reversed the injunction against Jackson on April 21, allowing him to compete in the UFC. The fight took place at a catchweight of 215 pounds. Jackson was the winner of the contest by unanimous vote.

Following his lone fight for Zuffa, Jackson was announced on February 16, 2016 that he had sorted out the contractual issues with Bellator MMA and will resume the sport. During this time at Bellator, Jackson used the experience of celebrity sports nutritionist Edwina Cheer to guide him on all aspects of diet planning and leading up to, and including, the weight loss. Jackson thanked Cheer for his particular eating habits, saying, "I know I'm impossible to cope with."

On June 24, 2016, Jackson defeated Satoshi Ishii 157 at Bellator 157. He won via split decision.

On March 31, 2017, Jackson met Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 175. The contest was a rematch between Bellator's inaugural pay-per-view competition, Bellator 120, which Jackson won by decision. He lost the election by a unanimous vote.

Jackson re-signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator on November 9, 2017.

On January 20, 2018, Jackson met Chael Sonnen in the quarterfinals of the Bellator World Grand Prix Tournament. 192. He was disqualified by a unanimous vote.

Jackson would meet Wanderlei Silva in a rematch at Bellator 206 on September 25, 2018. In round two, he won the competition despite a technical knockout.

Jackson will meet Fedor Emelianenko on December 29, 2019, at a Bellator and Rizin co-produced event in Japan on October 9, 2019. Jackson was disqualified in the first round after being defeated in the first round. The match marked the end of Bellator's long-running deal, with him deciding not to re-sign Jackson, effectively ending his relationship as a free agent.

Professional wrestling career

Jackson made his TNA debut on June 6, 2013 in Impact Wrestling, where he and Kurt Angle were involved in a verbal brawl. Angle was saved from a blast from the villainous Aces & Eights stable this week. On the 11th episode of Impact Wrestling, Jackson was announced as the fifth member of New Main Event Mafia alongside Angle, Magnus, Samoa Joe, and Sting. The Main Event Mafia's goal of getting the TNA World Heavyweight Championship off of Bully Ray and out of Aces & Eights' hands during Ray's match with Chris Sabin was achieved on July 18, during Impact Wrestling's Destination X episode. Jackson attempted to recruit Tito Ortiz, his Bellator 106 rival, to sub for him after Angle took a leave of absence in August. Ortiz later sluggishly struck Jackson in the chest with a hammer, assisting Bully Ray in regaining the World Heavyweight Championship and joining Aces & Eights. On the August 22 episode of Impact Wrestling; The Main Event Mafia (Jackson, Magnus, Joe, and Sting) and A.J. Jackson made his in-ring debut in a five-on-five tag team match. Styles defeated Aces & Eights after Styles pinned Devon for the win, knocking him out of TNA in the process. Bellator MMA had suspended Jackson from TNA television due to his impending PPV match with Ortiz, essentially baning him from the Main Event Mafia.

Jackson said in an interview with The Fight Nerd on July 31, 2014 that he was done with TNA after learning about their operations and how "they operated." TNA has since changed his profile to the alumni section of the company, announcing his departure from the company.

Acting career

Jackson has appeared in Confessions of a Pit Fighter, Miss March, Bad Guys, and The Midnight Meat Train, as well as episodes of The King of Queens and Pimp My Ride. He appeared in the films The A-Team, Never Surrender, Duel of Legends, and Death Warrior. He appeared in "Human Chain" a Nike commercial. Jackson appeared on WWE Monday Night Raw on June 7, 2010 as a guest host.

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