Showdown on MMA: Rampage’s UFC future

Not a day goes by where something from the MMA landscape doesn’t pique my interest.

Whether an athlete creates some controversy or a promotion announces a new title fight, there are always plenty of stories to keep yours truly engaged. Over the past few days a multitude of headlines have me beaming.

Does Rampage have one foot out of the Octagon?

My initial response is yes.

It appears as if Quinton Jackson’s days as mixed martial artist are beginning to be numbered. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion seems to be getting injured far more frequently now than when he may have been in his youth. He is only 33, but if you listen to him closely, it sounds like his body is acting like it’s 43. His admission to using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) prior to his UFC 144 bout against Ryan Bader was also a telling sign. His body reacted positively, with Rampage stating he felt like he was 25 again.

It also looks as if Jackson has had his fair share of issues with his employer, starting at the top with his on-again-off-again relationship with UFC president Dana White, to the broadcasting crew, production crew and others. He has long stated that issues with motivation have been plaguing him and with his second to last loss being to the current champion Jon Jones, his options seem to be limited as another title shot is unlikely.

Quinton may already be looking on the horizon. In the distance are movie rolls, business opportunities and so much more, but he’s a fighter, through and through. One thing that may motivate him rather quickly is if Jones loses to Rashad Evans at UFC 145. If that happens, that light at the end of Jackson’s tunnel may get brighter. That’s a rematch he would work hard to get, but if you ask the odds makers, it’s a pipe dream for Quinton. But there are also two others rematches he could look forward to. One to avenge a loss, the other to silence a foe.

The first could be vs. Mauricio (Shogun) Rua, who Rampage lost to in Pride in April 2005, while the second could be vs. Dan Henderson, who tweeted that Jackson just showed up in Japan to collect a pay cheque. Either way, I personally hope he fights at least one more time, and health permitting, for many more years to come.

And I sincerely hope he can bypass using TRT.

I’m not an expert, but based on some the research I have done on the subject, I do not believe it belongs in the sport of MMA, or in any sport for that matter. If an athlete’s body can no longer let them naturally compete at an elite level then they simply should not be competing, especially in a sport where the object is to knock out or submit your opponent. That has a recipe for disaster written all over it. The stats show the sport is safe and no one has ever died in the UFC, but like fighting, anything can happen, and hopefully it never will. But if it does, and the living fighter had a therapeutic exemption from an athletic commission to use TRT, it would not bode well for the commission, the UFC and all parties involved. It could seriously destroy the sport I’ve grown to passionately love and cover every day.

The rematch is on!

And rightfully so.

The moment the UFC 144 bout between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar ended, I tweeted something to the effect of “Frankie Edgar should change his nickname to The Rematch and that I had scored the bout for Edgar.” Moments later, Bruce Buffer announced that Henderson was victorious and from that moment on there was no doubt in my mind that the next man he would face would be Edgar.

Twitter blew up with everyone’s virtual score cards, and they were a mirror image of everyone I spoke to after the fight. Folks were split down the middle, with some giving the edge to Bendo and the others to Edgar. At the post fight press conference Frankie made his plight, reminding everyone that he granted two immediate rematches to BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, so “what’s right?” White hinted that the next person in line would perhaps be Anthony Pettis, who also won that evening, knocking out Joe Lauzon with a spectacularly timed head kick. I pointed to the fact that Jim Miller and Nate Diaz (pending the winner’s performance on FOX in May) was next in line, but that Edgar should get the rematch.

Days went by with no one really knowing what was happening behind the UFC matchmaking scenes. My UFC Central producer, Jacob Clark, asked if I’d be willing to do a two-minute feature explaining why I scored the bout the way I did. I agreed, and we aired it this past Monday.

Less than twenty four hours later, and to my pleasant surprise (and we had nothing to do with it), White tweeted that the rematch between Bendo and Frankie is on, and that it will take place this summer. On a side note, my fingers are crossed that it will take place in Canada, hopefully on the reported Calgary card, should the UFC secure the venue and city, etc.

“The Boss” made the call and did the right thing, part of which was to repay Edgar for agreeing to those rematches with Penn and Maynard. As I stated during this week’s episode of UFC Central, while Dana wants Frankie to move down and take on UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo for the 145-pound title, that fight will likely happen. But now is not the time — first, the score must be settled between the top two 155-pound fighters in the world.

UFC 146: Reinforce the Octagon

As if one title fight wasn’t enough for the UFC, let’s make that two.

UFC 146, scheduled for Saturday May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will see a monstrous main event: Junior dos Santos will defend his heavyweight title for the first time against No. 1 contender Alistair Overeem.

Shortly thereafter the UFC announced two other excellent scraps amongst the big boys, as a title eliminator bout as been verbally agreed upon between former champions Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez, while Roy (Big Country) Nelson and Antonio (Big Foot) Silva have also verbally agreed to square off in Vegas. And in case you missed it, the prelims will see another former Strikeforce fighter take on a UFC vet, as Shane Del Rosario will take on Gabriel Gonzaga.

Factor in that the other bouts include Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham, Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig, Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins, C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason (Mayhem) Miller, Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira, Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann, and you have two options: enjoy the pay per view at home with your pals, or do like I am, and head to Vegas for this crazy event.