Ex-UFC Champ Claims Dana White & UFC ‘Painted’ a False Narrative on His Retirement

There’s no doubt that Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was one of the biggest box office draws in all of MMA, and he also showed how big of a star he was in the UFC as well. However, he would leave the UFC in 2013, before returning for one more fight in 2015, and that too, on bad terms with Dana White. However, leaving the biggest promotion in the entire landscape proved to be detrimental to Jackson’s career, but he claims it was not his fault at all.

Following his stint in the UFC, ‘Rampage’ joined rival promotion Bellator, which is now a part of the PFL. However, the former 205lbs champion, who claims to have been in great shape and was fit to fight at the top level, failed to draw as many eyes as he did back in the UFC, but it was because of the narrative that Dana White and the UFC brass had about his departure from the company.

This meant that fans weren’t aware of Jackson’s current status, since not many of them watched too many fights under the Bellator banner. “The UFC painted a picture that I retired years ago before I even went to Bellator,” ‘Rampage Jackson told ‘MMA Junkie’. “So, unfortunately, not a lot of MMA fans watch Bellator because I fought for years after I left the UFC. So, most fans thought I was retired years ago.” 

Not only did he lose some of his fans, not because he did something wrong, but because they didn’t know that he was still an active fighter. For the unversed, ‘Rampage’ rejoined Bellator for a 5-fight stint between 2016 and 2019 that saw him compete against legends like Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, and Fedor Emelianenko. However, these were all past his prime.

The fights that ‘Rampage’ did get weren’t to his liking, especially because of the payout they offered. In all fairness, he was not only a superstar in MMA but also starred in big Hollywood movies as well. As such, ‘Rampage’ believed that they were underestimating the value he brings to a brand, promotion, or a combat event.

“I haven’t been getting offered many fights. I go offers here and there, but it’s not the type of money that I normally make, which is fine because, you know, I’m not trying to act stuck up here or nothing, but it’s just like I have a certain worth. Like, I’mma sell tickets,” Quinton Jackson added.

May 4, 2023, Newark, NJ, NEWARK, NJ, United States: Newark NJ – May 4: Dana White speaks to the press and the fans at UFC288 – Sterling vs Cejudo – press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Prudential Center on May 4, 2023 in Newark, NJ Newark, NJ United States – ZUMAp175 20230504_zsa_p175_038 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex

Well, this isn’t the first time ‘Rampage’ Jackson has spoken about Dana White and Co. sabotaging his career. He claimed to have countered the same approach towards him when he was offered a sponsorship deal with Reebok. Here’s what Jackson had to say.

Dana White sabotaged ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s Reebok deal

Quinton Jackson rose to stardom, and that led him to Hollywood, as we’ve already mentioned, and his biggest movie was ‘The A-Team,’ where he acted alongside A-listers like Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, and Sharlto Copley. That really put him on the map in pop culture as one of the most influential martial artists of all time. Jackson would continue to fight and act in more movies, making a name for himself.

When he suffered his last defeat against Glover Teixeira, ‘Rampage Jackson’ would get a sponsorship offer from Reebok, but that wasn’t something that Dana White or the UFC liked. As such, Jackson would later reveal that the promotion cost him his sponsorship deal, and that was what compelled him to leave the promotion in 2013.

“I left the UFC cause they stole my Reebok deal. That was my motherf—ing deal. I brought Reebok…Reebok sponsored me, and I was gonna wear them on my shorts. Dana White was like, ‘You can’t wear Reebok. We don’t got no relationship with Reebok,” Jackson stated on the ‘Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry’ podcast. “I was like, ‘I’m an independent contractor, you don’t need no relationship with my sponsor, what the f— you mean?'”

Well, Quinton Jackson is in a better place now after finding his place in the podcasting world, while Dana White is continuing his role as the UFC head and taking the promotion to new heights. But what do you have to say about ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s comments about his issues with the UFC? Drop your comments below.

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