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UFC announces re-signing of Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson - ESPN
So you left the company twice, leave on really bad terms the last time, then come back again when you realized the company you praised and signed with are the minor leagues. Ok. LOL!
So you left the company twice, leave on really bad terms the last time, then come back again when you realized the company you praised and signed with are the minor leagues. Ok. LOL!
The UFC announced Saturday night that former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has re-signed with the promotion.
"I haven't been happy with my contract in Bellator," Jackson said in a phone interview with Fox Sports following Saturday's UFC Fight Night broadcast in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "I haven't fought in a while -- pay-per-view with the King Mo [Muhammed Lawal] fight. I don't know what happened [with Bellator Bjorn Rebney], if he got fired or I don't know. My contract wasn't right so my manager and I tried to fix it. Bellator didn't want to fix it. I gave them 45 days and I terminated my contract. I sent a tweet out, I was upset about things in MMA, how fighters get treated. I did a little tweet, I guess Dana [White] saw it and responded to it. My manager started talking to him and here we go. No love lost."
At the time of Jackson's signing, Bellator MMA was headed by Rebney. Rebney and the promotion parted ways this past summer. He was replaced by former Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.
Jackson, 36, parted ways with the UFC following an 0-3 skid from September 2011 to January 2013 and signed a multifight deal with Bellator MMA. He publicly criticized the UFC's treatment of him after the split. But apparently Jackson has mended fences enough to re-sign.
"It was just business," he said. "I didn't like the way the UFC kinda painted the picture like I retired, like I got cut from UFC, but I didn't take it personal. ... I never had any bad blood [with Dana White]. I just wish that things were a little bit different."
Moments after the initial announcement, however, Bellator MMA, Jackson's employer for his past three fights, stated the 36-year-old fighter is still under exclusive contract with it.
Coker clearly defined the promotion's stance via Twitter: "Let us be clear that Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is under an exclusive contract with Bellator MMA. We will protect our contractual rights."
Sources told ESPN.com the promotion has not released Jackson from his contract, setting the stage for a potential legal battle regarding Jackson's ability to sign with the UFC.
In a UFC statement, the promotion stated Jackson had "terminated" a deal with his previous employer.
"You have no idea how excited I am to come back," Jackson said in a prerecorded video package on Fox Sports. "This is where I belong."
Jackson (35-11) compiled a 3-0 record, including two first-round knockouts, in the Bellator cage since leaving the UFC. He is coming off a three-round unanimous decision against Lawal in May. He was expected to fight Tito Ortiz in his promotional debut last year, but Ortiz withdrew from the bout due to injury.
Jackson has fought professionally since 1999. He holds notable wins over Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and Lyoto Machida.
Jackson won the UFC title in a TKO win over Chuck Liddell in May 2007. He defended the title once against former PRIDE champion Henderson in September 2007 before surrendering it in a decision loss to Forrest Griffin in July 2008.
"I haven't been happy with my contract in Bellator," Jackson said in a phone interview with Fox Sports following Saturday's UFC Fight Night broadcast in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "I haven't fought in a while -- pay-per-view with the King Mo [Muhammed Lawal] fight. I don't know what happened [with Bellator Bjorn Rebney], if he got fired or I don't know. My contract wasn't right so my manager and I tried to fix it. Bellator didn't want to fix it. I gave them 45 days and I terminated my contract. I sent a tweet out, I was upset about things in MMA, how fighters get treated. I did a little tweet, I guess Dana [White] saw it and responded to it. My manager started talking to him and here we go. No love lost."
At the time of Jackson's signing, Bellator MMA was headed by Rebney. Rebney and the promotion parted ways this past summer. He was replaced by former Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.
Jackson, 36, parted ways with the UFC following an 0-3 skid from September 2011 to January 2013 and signed a multifight deal with Bellator MMA. He publicly criticized the UFC's treatment of him after the split. But apparently Jackson has mended fences enough to re-sign.
"It was just business," he said. "I didn't like the way the UFC kinda painted the picture like I retired, like I got cut from UFC, but I didn't take it personal. ... I never had any bad blood [with Dana White]. I just wish that things were a little bit different."
Moments after the initial announcement, however, Bellator MMA, Jackson's employer for his past three fights, stated the 36-year-old fighter is still under exclusive contract with it.
Coker clearly defined the promotion's stance via Twitter: "Let us be clear that Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is under an exclusive contract with Bellator MMA. We will protect our contractual rights."
Sources told ESPN.com the promotion has not released Jackson from his contract, setting the stage for a potential legal battle regarding Jackson's ability to sign with the UFC.
In a UFC statement, the promotion stated Jackson had "terminated" a deal with his previous employer.
"You have no idea how excited I am to come back," Jackson said in a prerecorded video package on Fox Sports. "This is where I belong."
Jackson (35-11) compiled a 3-0 record, including two first-round knockouts, in the Bellator cage since leaving the UFC. He is coming off a three-round unanimous decision against Lawal in May. He was expected to fight Tito Ortiz in his promotional debut last year, but Ortiz withdrew from the bout due to injury.
Jackson has fought professionally since 1999. He holds notable wins over Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and Lyoto Machida.
Jackson won the UFC title in a TKO win over Chuck Liddell in May 2007. He defended the title once against former PRIDE champion Henderson in September 2007 before surrendering it in a decision loss to Forrest Griffin in July 2008.