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Will fans tire of “Rampage being Rampage” if he loses at UFC 114?
By Zach Arnold | May 27, 2010
Probable answer: Never?
(Long article time.)
With all the turmoil that has happened between Quinton Jackson and UFC, the anticipation of his upcoming fight against Rashad Evans is enormous and it’s fair to say that between this fight and all the A-Team movie publicity on a bunch of cable channels that the spotlight will never be as bright on Rampage as it is now. Turn on ESPN or TNT during the NBA Playoffs and you are barraged with A-Team movie commercials and promotional videos all the time.
As long as Rampage is viewed as a winner, casual fight fans and even hardcore fight fans will unconditionally love him — even if he screws up in life. He will get the celebrity treatment to a certain degree.
However, this is America. Americans love to build people up, tear them down, and repeat the cycle over and over. If Rampage Jackson loses to Rashad Evans at UFC 114, he’s going to get the Manny Ramirez treatment?
What’s the Manny Ramirez treatment?
Manny Ramirez, last year, signed a ridiculously large two-year $45 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He left Boston under horrible terms and was traded while he was sleeping. In Boston, he had options that could roll over for $20 million a year.
After completing his season with the Dodgers, he opted out of his deal in hopes of finding more money. He and his agent, Scott Boras, thought that they could make huge money and get more suitors than LA. Except, there weren’t any other suitors. Manny had to accept the deal the Dodgers offered him.
Initially, things started off OK. Then, Manny got busted for violating baseball’s drug policy. (He didn’t fail a test so much as, through paperwork, got caught using hCG which is the same fertility drug that NFL D-ROY Brian Cushing got busted for.) He was suspended for 50 games. Then he was named in media reports for allegedly being on baseball’s vaunted list of 104 players who failed drug tests when baseball took a sampling to determine whether or not they met a 5% threshold to go ahead and institute testing in the first place.
Ramirez, who for years got away with unusual, quirky, and self-absorbed behavior, suddenly found out that “Manny being Manny” wasn’t something that fans looked at as cute any longer. He’s somewhat popular still in Los Angeles, but the days of “Mannywood” are done.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson finds himself in a unique situation with UFC. He was given a golden opportunity to fight against Rashad Evans at the FedEx Forum at his old stomping grounds in Memphis, Tennessee. The fight was being built up on The Ultimate Fighter. Right after the series was taped, Rampage found himself accepting a movie deal for the A-Team movie remake. UFC had to book BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez in Memphis and luckily for them, things turned out OK.
Last February, Rampage showed up in Australia at 250 pounds and was not in fight shape. With the heat-up happening for his eventual fight booking at UFC 114 against Rashad Evans, so too did the spotlight heat-up on what Rampage was facing. Coming off of a long layoff and coming off of some good, but not great fight performances (including that ugly fight against Keith Jardine), Rampage found himself on the wrong end of criticism.
In a media interview for Fighters Only magazine, Rampage exacerbated his relationship with UFC in a bizarre tirade where he said that UFC doesn’t care about the fighters and that he would treat fighters more differently. It was an interview that was very hard for me to transcribe, but it was an interview that needed to be laid out there because some of the claims made by Rampage were unbelievable — especially in light of how UFC saved his bacon when he literally went on a vehicular rampage in Southern California. Fortunately for Rampage, the civil lawsuit brought against him by a woman who claimed that he caused her miscarriage was dropped.
With that as the backdrop, take a look at some comments Larry Pepe of Pro MMA Radio made this week as to why he can’t find himself backing Rampage.
“It just seems to me like Rampage is just about Rampage and I was stunned, if you haven’t seen them there are some videos that originated from Fighters Only in England, where Rampage was interviewed… and he goes on and on about you know that he would rather be retired, that he only made up with the UFC because his manager urged him to do so, that he’s already upset with them, he already doesn’t like the way things are being handled. He signs a six-fight deal but the UFC stops you from making money. If it was him and he sold 10% of his company for $100 million like they did with the UAE deal that he would take the top fighters and buy them new cars and all this other stuff. First of all, I don’t see Rampage doing that for anybody. Not the way he seems to run things. It seems to be all about him.
“But what’s shocked me, really, about this thing was that I thought looking at these videos this must be from a year ago or eight months ago when they were split and when there was so much acrimony between the UFC and Rampage and when he was going on his blog and talking the UFC down after he left to do the A-Team. And then to really come to realize that this video was shot a couple of weeks ago! So, after all that, I think the UFC’s been there for Rampage, I think they allowed him to blow up 107 and TUF 10 with leaving and they still let him come back and immediately put him in a mega-fight. I’m sure he has some type of PPV participation in his deal so he stands to make a lot of money as a result of this event. After the suppot they showed him way back when, not that long ago, when he went on his rampage in LA and bailed him out and again didn’t cut him. They cut Paul Daley for one punch after the bell. Rampage went through the streets of LA, had to be in court, almost hurt several people, got arrested, and they stood behind him, so I think they’ve done a lot and then they give him a new six-fight deal. He couldn’t have that signed it that long ago. He hasn’t even fought the first fight under that contract and already he’s upset. Already he’s complaining about the money, so I just have a hard time getting behind him as much as I’m very pro-fighter with 99% of the guys, he’s just a guy that seems to always have a problem, always having an issue.”
If you think the tide is turning against Rampage, you would be right. Is he being underestimated? He sure is. Interestingly enough, the beat writers that cover MMA largely find themselves favoring Rashad to win this pick ’em fight by a slight margin. Here’s Josh Gross on his radio show this week laying out the case as to why Rashad will win the UFC 114 main event by decision:
“And it’s an interesting fight. I’ve leaned towards Evans since they talked about making this fight for the first time. I’m still leaning towards Evans. I think the year off for Jackson has not helped him any, in fact I think he’s regressed as a Mixed Martial Artist over the last couple of years. Even though he’s continued to win, his record in that time is pretty impressive, you know outside of losing to Forrest Griffin in a fight he really should not have lost, he’s a better fighter than Forrest, he should have not lost that fight but he didn’t come with a lot of energy, he didn’t know how to handle leg kicks, didn’t know how to do a lot of things that you would think he able to do in a fight. He’s been pretty good since 2005 and so I think… a lot of people going to look at him knocking Wanderlei Silva and sort of saying ‘well that’s a reason he can beat Rashad Evans’ but I don’t see it that way. I think Silva, at that point, was coming off a terrible stretch, 205 just wasn’t where he needed to be and so I don’t put a lot of stock in that win for Rampage, I just don’t. I can’t. The Henderson win was much more impressive to me, but that was 2007. You know, we’re talking two and a half years later now and I’m not sure where he is, taking all the time off, filming the movie… I have a lot of questions about Rampage.
“As far as Evans goes, I think he’s a good fighter. I believe he’s a good fighter, I think he has a lot of skills. Physically he brings a lot of things into a fight that’s difficult for people to handle. Specifically against Rampage, I like his speed, I like his movement. I think he’ll do things to make life uncomfortable for Rampage, not so much that he’s got to defend or deal with pain, but just awkward. I think Evans’ speed will make it difficult on Rampage to connect. I think defensively Evans will do some things that will make Rampage frustrated and if Rampage can’t hang onto a game plan (and) can’t walk in there doing, hoping to accomplish specific things each time out, if he’s just in there trying to improvise and land the hard left hook or straight right, I don’t see him pulling it off. I think Evans can win a decision. I like to win a decision. I don’t necessarily see him hurting Rampage especially not to the chin. He may land a few punches but Quinton can still take a shot with the best of them, but I think it’s the movement, perhaps the low-kicking although Rashad has never really shown himself to be much of a low kicker but again, Rampage has never shown himself to be someone who can block a lot of low kicks. I like Evans to win. I do. It’s my feeling. It’s been that way for a long time, I’m not backing off of it. If not, if Rampage does win, then I think it sets himself up for a lot of big fights down the road, a big re-match with Shogun. The winner of this fight does get a title shot and I think that would be a compelling bout.
“I don’t think there’s any chance that Rampage beats Shogun. I just don’t see it. It’s a terrible style fight for him. I don’t know if Rashad does either, but of the two of them I’d probably give Rashad maybe a little better shot just because of the wrestling.
“I don’t think we’ll see a lot of wrestling in Evans and Rampage. I look at this as primarily a stand-up fight. Again, which is why I like Rashad to do better. At least be a little bit more active, to move around, to maybe cut off the cage some…. Lots of question marks about Rampage coming into this fight, lots of questions. It’s been more than a year since he fought. I mean you can talk about ring rust all you want but I think that’s a real factor here. I question on how much he has been working on his skills, who he has been working on those skills with. Maybe he’s in shape. Even if he’s in shape for this, I just think he’s… when I say he’s regressed, I mean I don’t think he’s done anything to improve as a Mixed Martial Artist really since leaving Juanito Ibarra. You can say what you want about Juanito, but Juanito made him work. Juanito made his boxing better and I don’t know that he’s done anything to that end in the last year, year and a half and I guess Rashad’s sort of the guy to determine that because if Rampage can’t do it against Rashad, I don’t see him doing against any of the other guys in the division.
“So, that’s that fight. The way I see it, primarily standing. If it’s in the clinch, I think Rampage does have advantages there. He’s going to be stronger than Rashad. Rashad’s a better technical wrestler but I don’t see a lot of wrestling, I don’t see hm shooting a double and taking a double, things like that. Rampage is tough to hold down. Rampage can get taken down, though, if he starts to fatigue. If he fatigues, that’s a big issue for him but again, I like it to be a stand-up fight. Maybe not most the exciting fight in spots. For all the trash talk, for all the talk, I don’t see it turning into a fire-fight. I think that would be a mistake for Evans. I know Greg Jackson has hammered into Evans’ head that you got to take the fight smart, you got to follow the game plan, you can’t make mistakes, and I think they’ll follow that. If you’ve been watching the Jackson fighters, they slow it down, they do what they have to do to win. Again, that’s kind of why I’m leaning in Evans’ direction. As much as I think he’s got advantages on the feet in terms of speed and movement and Rampage doesn’t usually react to guys who have those attributes, so… Evans (by) decision, where I’m coming down on that one.”
With lots of criticism and outside pressure placed on his shoulders, Rampage is in a very relaxed, quiet, and focused mood this week. He was definitely different in his demeanor at Wednesday’s UFC press conference, while Rashad Evans clearly thinks that he is in Quinton’s head.
During Rampage’s interview with MMAFighting.com on Wednesday (notes down below), the tone was one that I want you to listen to by clicking on the MMA Fighting link and watching the interview. The transcript won’t do it justice.
How does it feel to be back? You seem quiet and reserved.
“It’s feel good to be back.
“I’m just very focused, you know, I didn’t come here to fight here, you know what I’m saying, I didn’t come here to do all that. I fight this weekend. I ain’t coming here… everything’s already been said. It’s… it’s pointless for me to come here and yell back and forth and you know, why do that? I’m focused, I’m calm, I’m just ready to destroy him on Saturday.”
When did this fight become ‘personal’ to you?
“From the beginning. It was personal before because he made it personal. He said personal things, bringing up old losses. Any fighters knows that a no-no in life. If you got a friend that’s a fighter and stuff you don’t remind him of his losses, you don’t talk about that you know what I’m saying? It’s like a no-no in fighting like people know that. My friends that fight, I don’t bring up their losses and I don’t bring up their losses. I don’t say nothing about it. But he presses that issue and kind of make things up, bringing racial things into it. I just think he’s ignorant.
“You know, I’m a different animal. Like, I’ve been kicked and spit at, chewed up and spit out my whole life and called a lot of things. It don’t bother me. You know what I’m saying, the only thing that bothers me is that you know that he is trying to make it personal. That stuff doesn’t bother me like the stuff he says, he can call me Uncle Tom all he want, you know anybody can call me an Uncle Tom, it’s just their opinion you know what I’m saying. If you want to read into the stuff that I say to be entertaining and to be myself you know if people want to read into stuff that deep and analyze everything I say and decipher than you know then go ahead. I said a lot of stuff, go look all the stuff I said and go ahead, you know, take your shots and call me whatever you want to call me, I don’t care.”
What is your relationship with Dana White like now?
“Now it’s like you know I always have liked Dana. Dana always took care of me even when I used to fight in PRIDE, he used to give me tickets to come to the UFC and stuff like that. Dana is a good guy, he’s a cool guy, and you know personally I got nothing against them but you know we didn’t see eye to eye on business-wise before but I don’t think things real personal and stuff like that. I put myself in other people’s shoes, I know Dana’s looking out for his company and stuff like that but you know I’m looking out for me. He did that for his company, I’m doing that for me so nothing personal.”
While he left himself some wiggle room with those comments, Rampage’s semi-about-face in regards to his relationship with UFC is one of the many intriguing storylines heading into this weekend’s major event in Las Vegas. For Rampage’s sake, he better hope that everyone he considers a friend and ally now will stay as friends and allies should be lose to Rashad Evans.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Rampage is being very dumb about pitting himself against Zuffa. Fans can “forget” about the various other mistakes he’s made, but arguments about Zuffa and money will cause the discussion to continue endlessly, with a built in group of people (Zuffa supporters, fanboys, whatever you want to call them) who will systematically pick Rampage apart whenever they get a chance. The longer he’s up for discussion the worse it is for him, because he has made a lot of mistakes.
I saw a lot of the same things when Randy went against Zuffa, and his past isn’t nearly as checkered as Rampage’s. Since he has come back to the fold and kept his mouth shut his image has been repaired a lot, but there was a time when the majority of fans were starting to side against him.
It might be the same for Rampage in that if he shuts up, people will forgive and forget. But I don’t know. Like I say, his past is awfully checkered, and I’m also uncertain if he’s smart enough/humble enough to ever shut up even if things are going badly for him.
The biggest problems with Rampage are his laziness and selfishness.
He constantly talks out of both sides of his mouth. He professes to dislike Rashad because of smack talking. Meanwhile, he is one of the biggest if not MMA’s biggest smack talker. It isn’t difficult to find him engaging in activities he later proclaims to be unsavoury, or professing that he would hypothetically act in some noble manner even though nobody actually believes him.
The only reason he has an audience is because he is good at what he does. He is good, not great, and only because he chooses not to be. What other fighters wouldn’t give for his top tier punching power, strength, and durability.
I won’t be surprised when he disappears from public life entirely. If he isn’t successful, he isn’t the type of person that anyone will care to hear from. When all is said and done his list of gripes will include: I didn’t get paid enough, I don’t get enough respect for what I’ve accomplished, etc…
hCG? Interesting.
Been seeing some billboards advertising hCG for fat loss. Assuming the lipolytic effects are due to increased cyclic AMP and Protein Kinase A activity in fat cells.
For those wondering about hCG and the connection with steroids:
[GnRH -hypothalamus- -> LH -pituitary- -> gonads (ovaries/testis)-> testosterone production –> subsequent conversions. Note: a negative feedback loop exists where high T levels act back at the level of the brain to suppress GnRH and LH
In the ovary, T is 1st aromatized to estradiol
LH acts on the Leydig cells in the testis to produce T.
hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a placental protein that has similar activity to LH (they share a common receptor). As an aside, certain cancers produce hCG (a hallmark of de-differentation from surrounding tissues), and there may be a link between exogenous hCG and prostate cancer (this may be due to increased estradiol).]
I think that suspicious minds would wonder if the reason they were using hCG was because they used *something* earlier that suppressed gonadal f(x).
I don’t think he’s going to be any different than Tito, just slightly more popular than Ortiz currently is. If you hated Tito already, his antics and going head to head with Dana over perceived mistreatment and money pissed you off and you wanted to see him fight to get his ass kicked. But if you were a Tito fan his perceived persecution by the UFC (you know, the “he’s a dumb gorilla” interviews from Dana, his fight with Frank Shamrock being left off of the 100 best UFC fights list, ect.) you’re going to be even more invested in rooting for him. So either way as long as you’re polarizing, you’re right where you want to be. It’s when they stop talking about you that things get troublesome.
Yes, UFC standing by him during the Carmageddon incident was wonderful. But again, blaming him for taking the A-Team movie (which I assume is what he meant by the thing about them trying to get into his business affairs line), which they wouldn’t have halted production on so he could go to training camp and fight since he isn’t a Hollywood superstar, is ridiculous. You’re looking at it from an MMA fanboy perspective of “I want to see him fight so he should bow down to my wishes.” Jackson was looking at it from a “what can I do to make money when the UFC throws me away after I lose 3 in a row like every other fighter?” perspective.Yeah, the movie is going to suck, but it’s probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to maybe get his foot in the door. Especially since most of his career was fought outside of the big pay days of today, it’s not like he had a long Brock Lesnar payday run and is already set for life. What if he were to lose to Rashad, lose to Machida then lose of Jon Jones or something and got cut. Hollywood would be cold on him because he turned down one role so he might not be guaranteed another one. Then he’d have to go to Strikeforce and you’d all bitch about that.
Manny Ramirez isn’t a completely analogous situation. His popularity is not waning because of his drug bust, not in the least. His popularity is waning simply because he is less relevant: he is just not as good as he used to be.
I’m looking forward to see who the three main guys over at Bloody Elbow say will win this fight, because they always seem to be wrong on any remotely close matchup. I tried to start an account over there just to laugh at their picks of Brett Rogers and Arlovski, but I got hit with some 24-hour waiting period.