Rampage Jackson Update: "It All Involves Money"

Josh Gross has scored the first major story on Rampage Jackson:

Rampage's seismic shift from an idolized mixed martial artist began after he relinquished his title on points to Forrest Griffin UFC 86 on July 5. The decision to fire Juanito Ibarra, his trainer, manager and occasionally spiritual mentor, came shortly thereafter. A lack of food and sleep compounded unsettling behavior, and TMZ photos of Jackson face down in the street at the rear of his Bigfoot-inspired truck -- its left front tire shredded -- documented the result of a dangerous chase with police..

"Mentally he wasn't there," said the source. "It was almost as if he was possessed. He heard voices. He thought he was a God."

Talk amongst people in the house turned to the need for medical help. At first, they tried convincing Rampage to head for the hospital. That failed, tempers flared and police, thankfully, intervened. Several hours later, the fighter was under psychiatric hold...

Everything, save the pact between Jackson and Ibarra. With defeat as the impetus, Jackson responded to rough terrain by relieving the trainer of his duties, though "bottom line, somehow, someway it all involves money," said the fighter's friend.

The story also says Quinton/Wanderlei III could be on the November card if he is ready to fight again.  Someone at The Underground posted a thread over a week ago where they said Joe Rogan told people outside a club that Ibarra was stealing from Quinton, but I don't put any stock in it because people make things up to be important on message boards all the time.  There is no reason to believe it's true, but Ibarra's silence has been deafening since the incident.  Where is he?

This piece is must-read stuff.  Congratulations to Josh Gross on getting the story.

Update:  Unfortunately, some people are misreading this.  There has been speculation in Sherdog and UG forums for over a week now over a falling out between Quinton Jackson and Juanito Ibarra, and most of the speculation has centered around money.  Nobody has any evidence of this, but the fact that Quinton has already fired Juanito and is actively in the market for new management suggests that something major caused a rift between them.