Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was the first fighter eliminated from the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, suffering a decision loss last month to Chael Sonnen.
Now, Jackson is looking to try and even the score with Wanderlei Silva.
“I owe Wanderlei another ass whooping, I’ll tell you that,” Jackson said during an appearance on The MMA Hour Monday (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quotes). “I know he’s not a heavyweight. The last time I fought him I knocked him out of the weight class. But he beat me twice. I only beat him once. I think I owe him another ass whooping.”
In 2003, Silva scored a thunderous knockout over Jackson during the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. He later made it 2-for-2 with another finish in a fight for the Pride middleweight title.
At UFC 92, though, it was Jackson earning a little bit of revenge, as he caught “The Axe Murderer” and finished him.
With Jackson coming off a fight that he competed in at 250-plus pounds, and with Silva moving between middleweight (185) and light heavyweight (205), where a possible fourth fight could take place is an interesting situation. The 39-year-old Jackson is on a two-fight losing streak after winning five in a row.
“I probably could get down to 205, but I don’t know,” Jackson said. “I’m walking around at 250, 260. That’s a big one. If I had my way…I probably could get down to 205 now that I’ve got my nutritionist.”
Last June, Silva made his Bellator debut with a decision loss to Sonnen. That was his first appearance inside the cage in four years after a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission led to his exit from the UFC.
What do you think of a potential summer contest between Jackson and Silva? Is it a bout that makes sense? Or should both fighters remain in separate weight classes?
