Why Isn't Rampage Jackson Fighting Rashad Evans First?

by Luke Thomas on Feb 4, 2009 5:23 PM EST in MMA News

Ufc96_500_medium_medium After some speculation that turned out wrong, here's the answer from Dana White:

When do you think we'll see Lyoto Machida again and who might his opponent be?
That's a good question. That's going to depend on how the light heavyweight fights shake out in the next couple of fights. Obviously, Keith Jardine and Rampage Jackson are fighting (at UFC 96). Rampage is next in line for a title shot.

Assuming he beats Jardine?
Yeah, Rampage was supposed to fight Rashad Evans, and Rashad wasn't ready to fight. Rashad was just coming off the Forrest Griffin fight, he was all beat up, he wanted to take some time off, so Rampage said f**k it, I want to fight anyway. Give me another fight.

Rampage wants to keep fighting and stay active, which I love. I love guys like that. That's the way Chuck Liddell was, too. Chuck didn't want to wait for anything, he just wanted to keep fighting. People respect that. I think that's why Chuck became so big.

So Lyoto is in that top tier but we'll have to see how the other fights shake out before we'll know who he's going to fight next?
Yes.

So, the initial hunches that the UFC was working towards an Evans vs. Jackson fight were correct, but ultimately the frailty of human biology got in the way. It's not as if Rampage vs. Jardine is a bad match (and it allows Evans to learn more about any potential bout with Rampage as Evans' sparring partner will fight him first), but it was certainly a head scratcher in light of other possibilities without the above info.

Read the whole interview. The dig at Tito Ortiz is hilarious.

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I ran this through may translator and it spit this out:

If Rampage beats Jardine, he gets Rashad next. Lyoto will continue to wait.

If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.

by BJJDenver on Feb 4, 2009 5:27 PM EST reply actions

This is great for Evans

It is a gift to Team Jackson that Page is fighting Jardine. They will get as close a look at him as a team can by putting one of their own against him on his road back to the title. The worst thing would be for Jardine to win. Jardine and Evans will not fight one another as team mates. Kinda sucks if your Jardine but whatever. Team Jackson basically gets a dress rehearsal for Evans vs Jardine. Granted Jardine and Evans have different tools and therefore will have different strategies but what a great way to get a good long look at Page.

"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"

by Warhand on Feb 4, 2009 5:28 PM EST reply actions

correction: “dress rehearsal for Evans vs RAMPAGE”

"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"

by Warhand on Feb 4, 2009 9:32 PM EST up reply actions

I really feel bad for

Jardine. He’s just “that fighter” to the UFC. They use him. Griffin, Liddell, and even Vera (Vera winning would of put him back in the picture for sure).. all those dudes were suppose to beat him. Jardine beat them and no title shot. I’m sure if he would of beaten Wanderlei It still wouldn’t of gotten him a title shot. And I’m not even a Jardine fan.

by poundnground on Feb 4, 2009 5:30 PM EST reply actions

He lacks consistency...

for every good to great win… he has a bad loss… he wasn’t the first to beat chuck… rampage did that… he beat forrest before he beat shogun and rampage… and he lost to Houston Alexander (BIIIIIIIIIG LOSS) and W. Silva (badly)..

Doesn’t warrant a title shot.

by Loot on Feb 4, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, he’s been treated as a stepping stone, because he doesn’t win like a star. Champions don’t lose to Houston Alexander, or get crushed by Wanderlei Silva in 30 seconds.

I like Jardine, but you can’t expect to ever get a title shot if you win by split decision and lose by getting knocked out in the first minute.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 4, 2009 6:12 PM EST up reply actions

I read an article that said if Jackson beats Jardine then Jackson gets the shot, and if Jardine wins Machida will get it. I hope thats not true cause its ridicules. GIVE MACHIDA THE SHOT!
UFC: UNDEFEATED

by J_Maddux on Feb 4, 2009 5:59 PM EST reply actions

oops i guess it was this article

by J_Maddux on Feb 4, 2009 6:00 PM EST reply actions

This is bullshit.

If Keith Jardine beats Rampage Jackson, he is 3-0 against the last 3 UFC Light Heavyweight Champions.

He can’t go back in time and not lose to Houston Alexander. He can’t. All he can do is win fight after fight against TOP 5 TALENT, and that’s what he’s done.

I love the UFC, but this is bullshit. Utter, complete bullshit.

And if he gives the title shot to Chuck for beating fucking Shogun while Jardine holds a win over him, the guy that beat him for the belt (Rampage), and the guy that beat the guy that beat him for the belt (Forrest) and gets matched up against Machida, I’ll cry foul again.

Bullshit.

by Derek Suboticki on Feb 4, 2009 6:18 PM EST reply actions

He can’t go back in time and not lose to Houston Alexander. He can’t. All he can do is win fight after fight against TOP 5 TALENT, and that’s what he’s done.

Technically fight after fight means in a row, not split up by absolute asskickings.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 4, 2009 6:24 PM EST up reply actions

For once we agree on something. Any fight where one guy is guaranteed a title shot with a win, and the other guy is guaranteed NOT to get a title shot if he wins, is ridiculous.

by smoogy on Feb 4, 2009 6:27 PM EST up reply actions

Thats sheer nonsense, because it assumes both fighters come into the fight on equal standing. That is neither extremely common nor is it optimal for a fully functioning title shot system.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 4, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions

I'm with you

There are no established scientific formula for how someone contends for a title, particularly since it’s been made clear that Rampage is already in line for his. Jardine is being given an opportunity to prove something. Should he defeat Rampage, he could very well get a shot at a guy like Forrest (again) and would undoubtedly get a title shot after winning that fight. Nothing is black and white with a guy that streaky.

by Blackout612 on Feb 4, 2009 6:40 PM EST up reply actions

There are no established scientific formula for how someone contends for a title

Even if there were, I’m absolutely certain it would involve two fighters fighting each other for a title shot maybe a third of the time. Having every title contender fight be a title shot fight for both fighters would be a complete and utter disaster and wouldn’t work at all.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 4, 2009 6:50 PM EST up reply actions

People said the same thing going into Evans-Liddell – ‘oh, if Evan’s wins it’s a fluke, but it Chuck wins he gets a title shot’. It should be a #1 contender’s match, period.

by Derek Suboticki on Feb 4, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

Same thing was said for Forrest vs Shogun

by bignerd on Feb 4, 2009 11:00 PM EST up reply actions

People said that, it doesn’t mean people know shit.

Let me issue you a challenge. Construct a system of title shot contenderships for one year, 3 title defenses. Do it in such a way that you have three individual fights where the winner gets the title shot, whichever fighter wins.

I guarantee you you’ll end up badly screwing over one or two fighters. And that doesn’t even take into account qualitative factors, like method of finishing (which the UFC unquestionably considers) and things like Rampage losing his mind.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 5, 2009 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

You’re ignoring the Silva loss too. He has one win over top 5 talent. Forrest wasn’t considered top 5 by anybody in Dec. 2006 when Jardine beat him. Honestly, probably not top 10. The only one is Liddell in Sep. 2007. He followed that up by getting crushed. He has not won fight after fight against top 10 talent.

by Michael Rome on Feb 4, 2009 6:40 PM EST up reply actions

I just picked one at random, MMA Weekly rankings back in Dec. 2006:

Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Chuck Liddell

2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

3. Wanderlei Silva

4. Ricardo Arona

5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

6. Renato “Babalu” Sobral

7. Tito Ortiz

8. Quinton Jackson

9. Alistair Overeem

10. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Jardine has a top 5 win over Chuck. Otherwise, it’s two wins outside of the top 10, split up with bad losses.

by Michael Rome on Feb 4, 2009 6:44 PM EST up reply actions

You are dead on talking about how it allows Evans to learn more about Rampage. A friend of mine told me something about this the other day. Jardine fought Bonnar just before Evans did, he fought Chuck just before Evans did, and he’s fighting Rampage just before Evans will, assuming Rampage wins. There was another fighter that my friend mentioned but I forgot who it was. If Evans goes on to beat Rampage then we may have a situation on our hands where Team Jackson is using Jardine to scout out opponents for Evans. Now I realize that Team Jackson can’t make the fights but they sure can push for the fight that they would like. Something to think about.

by dedstrk316 on Feb 4, 2009 6:19 PM EST reply actions

There was another fighter that my friend mentioned but I forgot who it was.

He also fought Forrest first, but there was a larger gap between their fights.

by Estrada on Feb 4, 2009 11:41 PM EST up reply actions

'frailty if human biology'

going for ‘of’ there?

by Derek Suboticki on Feb 4, 2009 6:20 PM EST reply actions

I need a proofreader like it’s going out of style.

by Luke Thomas on Feb 4, 2009 10:21 PM EST up reply actions

I am perpetually for hire :-)

by Derek Suboticki on Feb 4, 2009 11:49 PM EST up reply actions

Is it just me, or does Dana exclusively refer to Chuck in the past tense? Does that strike anyone else as odd…?

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Feb 4, 2009 6:28 PM EST reply actions

Not only the Tito dig...

I loved this quote:

I would be f—ing shocked if Affliction put on another show. They got murdered. I dislike these guys so much that I hope they put on another show because I want them to lose more money. But I don’t see it happening, and I can see us getting some guys there.

I’m not one of those sitting around hoping Affliction fails, but that’s some funny shit.

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Feb 4, 2009 6:35 PM EST reply actions

UFC 96 Needed a Headliner

Rampage decided to take the fight and probably knew it could cost him first shot. He saved UFC ass with this PPV so you can bet management will try to find away to make it right with him.

by bignerd on Feb 4, 2009 6:38 PM EST reply actions

I believe they’re both getting huge bonuses for stepping up.

by Michaelthebox on Feb 4, 2009 6:41 PM EST up reply actions

And if Rampage loses, he probably gets to fight Forrest. Who he wants to fight more than Rashad for the title.

by iiowyn on Feb 4, 2009 8:09 PM EST up reply actions

War Jardine

But seriously even if Page wins he should still just fight the winner of Lyoto, Evans. Rampage just had the belt, let someone else fight for it.

by Pandanus on Feb 4, 2009 10:52 PM EST reply actions

That picture isn’t Jardine. It looks kinda like him if he was paint brushed 10 times over.

by bignerd on Feb 4, 2009 11:02 PM EST up reply actions

Of course it's Jardine. War Techno Viking!

by Pandanus on Feb 4, 2009 11:14 PM EST up reply actions

Pat Berry is the true Techno Viking, he had to change his appearance to better protect dancing girls from gropers.

by iiowyn on Feb 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST up reply actions

That’s much better.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Feb 4, 2009 11:30 PM EST up reply actions

I am in love with this poster.

DON’T MESS WITH THE TECHNO VIKING!

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Feb 5, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

I think that the UFC is losing out on the possibility of having two undefeated fighters fighting for a championship. No one will can really argue against Lyoto Machida deserving the shot and if he beats Evans… Evans vs. Jackson will sell just as well if it were a title fight or not.

by adamdd on Feb 5, 2009 11:34 AM EST reply actions

Very bad idea for Rampage to fight against Jardine. Jardine is the most overlooked LHW in the sport. On any given night, he is capable of derailing top fighters, and he’s proved it. He stands a good chance of winning this fight. Rampage should have chilled out, waited for his shot, and took the time off to get his personal life straight. He’s taking an awful big risk, against someone who has nothing to lose. If Jardine wins, they’ll either put him against Machida, who will pick him apart, or they will rematch him with Forrest; but he won’t get a title shot, and probably would’nt want one against his teammate, and Rampage will be left in MMA limbo.

by Cmad77 on Feb 5, 2009 1:06 PM EST reply actions

Jardine has nothing to lose?

That’s awfully curious. Rampage loses, he’s stilling bringing in six figs for the forseeable future. Jardine is close to negotiating on a new deal and needs to look good to get his checks up to a respectable level. Everyone has something to lose. You don’t fight in the UFC with nothing to lose unless your name is fuckin Mark Coleman.

by Blackout612 on Feb 5, 2009 5:15 PM EST up reply actions