Quinton Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quinton Jackson
Jackson in 2019
Born	Quinton Ramone Jackson (1978-06-20) June 20, 1978 (age 47) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Other names	Rampage
Residence	Irvine, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (1999–2000, 2015–present) Light heavyweight (2000–2002, 2004–2014) Middleweight (2003)
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Fighting out of	Irvine, California, U.S.
Team	Team Oyama Team Punishment Wolfslair MMA Academy Rampage Fitness Academy Team
Trainer	Lance Gibson, Bobby Rimmer
Wrestling	CCCAA wrestling
Years active	1999–present
Kickboxing record
Total	2
Wins	2
By knockout	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	52
Wins	38
By knockout	20
By submission	4
By decision	14
Losses	14
By knockout	4
By submission	2
By decision	7
By disqualification	1
Other information
Notable school(s)	Raleigh-Egypt High School

Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist, actor, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. During his career in mixed martial arts (MMA), Jackson won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He also won the Bellator Season 10 Light Heavyweight Tournament Championship. He even combined the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship with the Pride FC World Middleweight Championship belt. Because of his exciting personality and strong fighting style, Jackson became a big star in Japan. Later, when he moved to the UFC, he helped MMA grow into a sport known all over the world.

Early Life and Training

Jackson grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He first got into combat sports through wrestling at Raleigh-Egypt High School. He joined the school when he was 17. In his final year, he earned All-State honors, finishing fifth in the state tournament.

While in high school, Jackson became friends with Jacob Noe, who also became a Bellator light heavyweight fighter. Noe taught Jackson karate striking moves, and Jackson taught him wrestling techniques. Jackson first wanted to become a professional wrestler after high school. However, he continued his amateur wrestling at Lassen Community College in California. After discovering mixed martial arts, Jackson trained in Las Vegas with fighter Lewis Rumble.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting Out in MMA

Jackson was impressed by how well other wrestlers did in MMA. He decided to try the sport himself. He quickly built up a record of 10 wins and only 1 loss. He fought for smaller American promotions like King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge. Jackson became known for picking up his opponents and slamming them to the ground. His first MMA title win against Rocko Hammerhands Henderson was just the start of many exciting victories.

Fighting in Pride FC

In 2001, Jackson joined Japan's Pride organization. He was still a new fighter when he first fought Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride 15. Sakuraba was Pride's most famous fighter at the time. Jackson lost this fight by a rear naked choke. Even though he lost, Jackson's exciting performance won over the Japanese fans. They respected his brave effort against a much more experienced fighter.

After beating pro-wrestler Alexander Otsuka, Jackson was invited back for Pride 17. There, he knocked out Otsuka's training partner, Yuki Ishikawa. In his next fight, Jackson was disqualified for an accidental low blow against Daijiro Matsui.

Jackson then won several Pride fights in a row. He defeated Masaaki Satake, Igor Vovchanchyn, Kevin Randleman, and Mikhail Illoukhine. He also tried kickboxing and won two fights against kickboxer Cyril Abidi under K-1 rules. Many people thought Jackson's wild striking style would not work in K-1. They expected Abidi, a trained striker, to easily beat him. But Jackson quickly overwhelmed Abidi and knocked him out in the first round.

Later that year, Abidi wanted to prove his loss was a mistake. They fought again under K-1 rules. Jackson won again, this time by decision. This was Jackson's last kickboxing match, as he returned to MMA full-time.

Rivalry with Wanderlei Silva

Jackson then set his sights on winning the Pride Middleweight title from Wanderlei Silva. In Pride's 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix, Jackson won a close fight against Murilo Bustamante. Three months later, Jackson defeated UFC fighter Chuck Liddell in the semi-finals at Pride Final Conflict 2003. This put him in the finals against Silva. Jackson took Silva down and hurt him, but the referee stood them up. Silva then stopped Jackson with powerful knee strikes to the head.

Jackson continued his Pride career with a win over Ikuhisa Minowa. He then faced Ricardo Arona. The winner would fight Wanderlei Silva. In the first round, Arona caught Jackson in a triangle choke. Jackson picked up Arona and slammed him to the mat, winning by knockout.

Before his second fight with Silva, Jackson announced he had become a Christian. In the fight, Jackson knocked Silva down in the first round. He also took him down and landed knees and elbows. Jackson got another takedown in the second round. But Silva escaped and knocked out Jackson with more knee strikes to the head.

Last Fights in Pride

Jackson's next two fights were against Silva's training partners. He won a close fight against Murilo "Ninja" Rua. But he lost to Rua's younger brother, Shogun Rua, by TKO from soccer kicks to the head.

After losing to Shogun, Jackson started working with boxing and MMA trainer Juanito Ibarra. Ibarra saw Jackson's natural talent. Jackson trusted Ibarra to guide his career.

Jackson then defeated Hirotaka Yokoi by TKO at Pride 30. In his last fight for Pride, he won a unanimous decision against Yoon Dong-Sik at Pride 31.

After Pride

On May 16, 2006, the World Fighting Alliance signed Jackson to a new deal. He defeated Matt Lindland by a close decision at WFA: King of the Streets. Jackson said, "He is a good fighter. I trained hard. He is an Olympic silver medalist. So much respect to him. I knew I had to bring it." Lindland tried to use guillotine choke holds twice. Jackson escaped both times and slammed Lindland. He then cut Lindland's nose with punches on the ground to win.

Joining the UFC

On December 11, 2006, Zuffa, the company that owns the UFC, bought parts of the World Fighting Alliance. Jackson's contract was included in this deal.

Jackson said it was finally time for him to join the UFC. He had not joined before because of his friendship with UFC fighter Tito Ortiz. Jackson explained that Ortiz was a big star in the UFC in the same weight class. He did not want to compete with his friend.

Jackson made his UFC debut at UFC 67. He knocked out Marvin Eastman, getting revenge for an earlier loss in his career.

Becoming Light Heavyweight Champion

At UFC 71 on May 26, 2007, Jackson faced UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell. This was a rematch of their 2003 Pride fight. About 90 seconds into the first round, Jackson hit Liddell with a right hook to the jaw. Liddell fell, and Jackson landed more punches before the referee stopped the fight. Jackson won the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Jackson then defeated Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson at UFC 75 on September 8, 2007. This fight was in London, England. Jackson won by unanimous decision, combining the two organizations' titles.

The Ultimate Fighter 7

On December 9, 2007, it was announced that Jackson would be one of the two coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 7. He coached against Forrest Griffin. During the show, Jackson sometimes got frustrated when his fighters lost. In the semifinals, only two of Jackson's fighters made it, while Griffin had six. In the finale, Griffin's fighter, Amir Sadollah, beat Jackson's top fighter, C.B. Dollaway.

On July 5, 2008, Jackson fought Griffin for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 86. He lost by the judges' decision. In the first round, Jackson landed strong punches and knocked Griffin down. Jackson kept hitting him throughout the fight. Griffin, however, was more aggressive, throwing many leg kicks and landing elbows and punches while on top of Jackson. In later rounds, Jackson took Griffin down twice. He almost used his famous power bomb. Jackson showed clear discomfort from the leg kicks. The last three rounds were less exciting, with Jackson looking for a knockout and Griffin throwing jabs and kicks. Griffin won by unanimous decision.

After the fight, both Griffin and his coach Randy Couture said they thought the fight was close. Jackson's coach, Juanito Ibarra, planned to protest the decision. But after talking to the commission, he decided not to, as Griffin would still win. Soon after, Jackson stopped working with Ibarra. There were talks of an immediate rematch, but it did not happen.

Back to Title Contention

Jackson began training for his next fight at UFC 92. This fight was against Wanderlei Silva, the only person to beat Jackson twice. Jackson got his revenge by knocking Silva out with a powerful left hook in the first round. The fight was notable because Jackson followed Silva to the ground with three more punches before the referee stopped the fight.

Jackson's next fight was against Keith Jardine at UFC 96 on March 7, 2009. It was announced that if Jackson won, he would fight Rashad Evans for the Light Heavyweight Championship. If he lost, Lyoto Machida would get the title shot. Jackson won the fight by unanimous decision. Jackson was set for his title shot, but injuries kept him from fighting. Lyoto Machida got the title shot instead.

The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights

In June 2009, filming began for the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Jackson was a coach, facing off against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans. This season featured 16 heavyweight fighters, including internet street fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and former NFL players. The show started on September 16.

Taking a Break and Coming Back

On September 22, 2009, Jackson wrote on his website that he was "done fighting." He felt he was not treated well by the UFC. However, on December 4, 2009, Jackson announced he would return to the UFC to finish his contract. He wanted to fight Rashad Evans. At the UFC 107 press conference, Dana White, the UFC President, said that if Rashad Evans could beat Thiago Silva at UFC 108, then a fight between Evans and Jackson would finally happen.

Jackson was expected to fight Rashad Evans at UFC 113. The fight was then set for May 29, 2010, at UFC 114. Dana White confirmed that this fight would decide who would challenge Maurício Rua for his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jackson lost to Rashad Evans by unanimous decision. Jackson was hit early in the fight and spent the next two rounds being taken down. He hurt Evans in the third round but could not finish him.

Another Shot at the Title

On March 24, 2010, Dana White announced that Jackson signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. Jackson's next fight was against former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 on November 20, 2010. Jackson won by a close split decision. UFC president Dana White supported the judges' decision, saying Jackson won the first two rounds and no rematch was needed.

Jackson was expected to face Thiago Silva on May 28, 2011, at UFC 130. However, Silva failed a drug test, so Matt Hamill replaced him. Jackson fought very well, easily stopping Hamill's takedowns and winning the striking exchanges. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Second Title Fight

Jackson faced Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on September 24, 2011, at UFC 135. Jackson lost by submission in the fourth round when Jones applied a rear-naked choke. This was the first time Jackson had been stopped in a fight during his time in the UFC.

After the Title Shot

Jackson faced Ryan Bader on February 26, 2012, at UFC 144. Jackson weighed in 5 pounds over the limit for the light heavyweight division. He said a training injury stopped him from running. Bader agreed to fight him at a slightly heavier weight. Jackson lost the fight by unanimous decision. This was the first time he had lost two fights in a row. After the match, Jackson said he was leaving the UFC. He had planned to fight his former Pride rival, Shogun Rua, as his last UFC fight. However, he decided to have double knee surgery instead.

Jackson was expected to face Glover Teixeira on October 13, 2012, at UFC 153. But Jackson pulled out due to an injury, and Fábio Maldonado replaced him.

Jackson fought Teixeira and lost by unanimous decision on January 26, 2013, at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson.

Bellator MMA Career

On June 4, 2013, it was announced that Jackson signed a multi-year deal with Spike TV, Bellator MMA, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He said he might move up to the heavyweight division.

Jackson was supposed to fight his former training partner and fellow former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz on November 2 at Bellator 106. However, Ortiz got a neck injury and had to pull out of the fight.

Jackson made his Bellator debut on November 15, 2013, at Bellator 108. He faced Joey Beltran. He won by knockout in the first round. He dropped Beltran with a punch combination and landed another punch on the ground, stopping the fight with one second left in the round.

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

Jackson fought Muhammed Lawal in the tournament final on May 17, 2014, at Bellator 120. He won the fight by unanimous decision. After the fight, Jackson was fined $10,000 for pushing Lawal during the weigh-in.

Return to the UFC

On December 20, 2014, it was announced that Jackson had signed a new deal to return to the UFC. Scott Coker, Bellator's president, said Jackson was still under contract with Bellator and would take legal action. Jackson claimed Bellator did not honor his contract, which is why he signed with the UFC.

Jackson was scheduled to face Fábio Maldonado on April 25, 2015, at UFC 186. However, on April 7, Jackson was removed from the fight. Bellator MMA got a court order to stop him from fighting for the UFC. They said he broke a deal signed in June 2013. On April 21, a judge overturned the order, allowing him to fight. The fight happened at a slightly heavier weight of 215 lbs. Jackson won the fight by unanimous decision.

Return to Bellator MMA

After his one fight back with the UFC, it was announced on February 16, 2016, that Jackson had settled his contract issues with Bellator MMA. He would return to the promotion. During this time, Jackson worked with sports nutritionist Edwina Cheer for his fight preparation. Jackson thanked Cheer, saying, "I know I'm hard to deal with."

Jackson fought Satoshi Ishii on June 24, 2016, at Bellator 157. He won by a split decision.

Jackson faced Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 175 on March 31, 2017. This was a rematch of their first fight, which Jackson won. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.

On November 9, 2017, Jackson signed a new contract with Bellator.

Jackson faced Chael Sonnen in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament on January 20, 2018, at Bellator 192. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

On June 25, 2018, it was announced that Jackson would fight Wanderlei Silva in a rematch on September 29 at Bellator 206. He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.

On October 9, 2019, Bellator MMA announced that Jackson would face Fedor Emelianenko on December 29, 2019. This was at a special event in Japan. Jackson lost the fight by knockout in the first round. This was the last fight on his contract with Bellator. Bellator did not re-sign him, making him a free agent.

Fight Circus

On April 2, 2023, Jackson competed in a two-on-two boxing match at Fight Circus 6 in Thailand. He teamed up with Bob Sapp against the promotion's CEO, Jon Nutt, and a man named Woody. Jackson and Sapp won by TKO in the third round.

Boxing Shannon Briggs

On January 31, 2024, Jackson announced he had signed to box former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs. The boxing match was planned for June 1 in Qatar but did not happen.

Professional Wrestling Career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2010)

Jackson appeared on WWE Raw on June 7, 2010. He was a special guest host with his co-stars from The A-Team movie, Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2013–2014)

Jackson made his TNA debut on June 6, 2013, on Impact Wrestling. He had a verbal argument with Kurt Angle. The next week, Jackson saved Angle from an attack by the group Aces & Eights. Jackson returned on July 11, joining New Main Event Mafia with Angle, Magnus, Samoa Joe, and Sting. On July 18, the Main Event Mafia helped take the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Bully Ray. After Angle took a break in August, Jackson tried to get Tito Ortiz to join. Ortiz later attacked Jackson, which helped Bully Ray get the championship back and join Aces & Eights. Jackson had his first wrestling match on August 22. The Main Event Mafia and A.J. Styles defeated Aces & Eights.

On September 12, Bellator MMA pulled Jackson from TNA because of his upcoming fight with Ortiz. This removed him from the Main Event Mafia.

On July 31, 2014, Jackson said he was done with TNA after seeing how they operated. TNA later moved his profile to their alumni section, confirming he had left the company.

Japan (2024)

On June 22, 2024, Jackson wrestled at the Bloodsport Bushido event in Tokyo, Japan. There, Jackson defeated Hideki Sekine by knockout.

Achievements and Awards

• Bellator MMA
  • Bellator Season 10 Light Heavyweight Tournament Championship
• Pride Fighting Championships
  • 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix (Runner-up)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
    • One successful title defense
    • Unified the UFC Light Heavyweight and Pride World Middleweight Championships
  • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, Jon Jones
  • Knockout of the Night (Two times) vs. Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva
  • Tied for most consecutive fights with a knockdown landed in UFC history (7)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2007: Fighter of the Year, Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year vs. Chuck Liddell & Ranked #6 Upset of the Year vs. Chuck Liddell
    • 2008: Fight of the Year vs. Forrest Griffin & Ranked #5 Knockout of the Year vs. Wanderlei Silva
• King of the Cage
  • KOTC Light Heavyweight Superfight Championship (One time)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • 2004 Fight of the Year vs. Wanderlei Silva on October 31
  • 2008 Fight of the Year vs. Forrest Griffin on July 5
  • 2007 Most Outstanding Fighter
• Sherdog
  • 2007 Fighter of the Year
  • Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Kickboxing Record

Fight Circus Record

Pay-Per-View Events

Acting Career

Jackson has also starred in several films. These include The A-Team, Never Surrender, Duel of Legends, and Death Warrior. He also appeared in a Nike commercial called "Human Chain".

Filmography

Personal Life

Jackson lives in Ladera Ranch and has five children. Three of his children have the middle name of Rampage. Jackson and his wife, with whom he has two children, separated in 2006. This happened after a paternity test showed he had fathered a child with another woman in 1999. They later got back together but have since divorced. On October 2, 2023, Jackson welcomed his fifth child, a second daughter. In 2010, Jackson lived in Merseyside in England and supports Everton F.C.. He enjoys playing video games and streams in his free time on Twitch.

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See also

• List of male mixed martial artists