QUINTON “RAMPAGE” JACKSON has wreaked havoc inside the Octagon for the last five years but his upcoming bout against Glover Teixeira looks to be his last with the UFC.
Often an outspoken character, Jackson has aired his most recent grievances in the run up to this fight and has announced that he will be leaving the organisation after this weekend.
He will bow out not as a headliner but as second on the bill as the flyweight title match-up between John Dodson and Demetrius Johnson gets precedence on a top card.
A lightweight title eliminator between Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone has all the hallmarks of a “Fight of the Night” bout while Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas both defend their unbeaten UFC records in the featherweight division.
“Rampage” to go out on his sword
Quinton Jackson has been one of the best entertainers in UFC history and when he beat Chuck Liddell for the light heavyweight championship back at UFC 71, it seemed as if he would embark on a reign of dominance that would last for a long time.
But motivational issues lead to inconsistency and he never really grasped the fact that you couldn’t rely solely on your talent, no matter how immense it was, to stay at the top of one of the most competitive sports going.
He seemed to gather some focus when beating Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill which landed him another shot at Jon Jones and the title, but after he was defeated, the “Rampage” of old turned up to Japan and was defeated by Ryan Bader at UFC 144.
His next opponent, Glover Teixeira, is one of the most feared fighters in his division and the likes of Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans have previously ducked him. Jackson will need to be fully focused if he is to stand any chance and we know that is not the case as he has been vocal in his issues with Dana White and the UFC these last few weeks.
Distractions aside, a Quinton Jackson at his peak in Pride FC would have his hands full against the dominance of Teixeira. Although “Rampage” will want to put on one last show for his fans, the Brazilian should prove far too strong for him.
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Fast fists and frenetic action in the flyweight division
The championship belt of the lightest UFC weight division is up for grabs in the main event on Saturday as Demetrious Johnson looks to defend his title against top contender John Dodson.
Johnson is unbeaten since his drop to flyweight and will come into this fight as slight favourite against “The Ultimate Fighter” season fourteen winner Dodson.
Both men possess very quick hand speed and work relentlessly when inside the cage but with the stockier frame and more power, Dodson may just come out on top if he can avoid the takedowns that will inevitably come his way.
Elsewhere, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis are both looking to earn another shot at lightweight champion Ben Henderson. Cerrone has come back strong since being defeated by Nate Diaz while Pettis has beaten Jeremy Stevens and Joe Lauzon since getting beat by Clay Guida.
This promises to be an explosive fight and is odds on to claim some sort of bonus money as both men always put on a great fight and the judges will probably not be needed to decide the winner of this bout.
Erik Koch was due to face Jose Aldo on two different occasions before injuries ruined that plan and he faces Ricardo Lamas with ideas on Aldo still. It would be wrong to look past this fight however as Lamas has quietly climbed up the divisional ladder with impressive wins over Cub Swanson and Hatsu Hioki under his belt.
Koch has won four on the bounce though and has more tools in his locker than Lamas and could easily win the fight through a KO or submission.
