After going on recent tirades and Twitter wars about his discontent with UFC and how he was being treated, Rampage Jackson has made it very clear and public his desire to leave Zuffa and pursue fighting elsewhere. Stating that he was being “disrespected” by Zuffa and “they have taken my love of fighting away”, Jackson will be given his leave after he fulfills the last obligated fight on his contract, a re-match with the last man to beat him via KO/TKO, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
The news was given by Dana White on last night’s episode of UFC Tonight, stating that they will release him after he honors his contract. the fight will happen sometime later this year. No official date or venue has been set.
Rua defeated Jackson in the opening round of the 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix and the loss has haunted the former UFC light heavyweight champion for year. Criticized for quitting in the fight, Jackson was antagonized relentlessly during TUF season 10 by rival coach Rashad Evans who said, “You quit in the Shogun fight…when you don’t get your way, you break mentally.” The mental aspect of fighting has always been a questionable point for Jackson, who appeared to be ready to go for another title run leading into his bout with Ryan Bader at UFC 144; subsequently, he came into that fight overweight and lost via unanimous decision.
For the man opposite the cage, another former UFC light heavyweight champion, Shogun Rua will be looking to get his career back on track after a flip-flopping 2011. A year that saw him lose the title to a dominant Jon Jones, rebounding with a blitz knockout of Forrest Griffin and then a unanimous decision loss in what was one of the greatest fights of all time against Dan Henderson at UFC 139. Holding a win over his opponent will give him the advantage added to the fact this is Jackson’s last fight and the PRIDE champion will want to send him off in explosive fashion.
