Rampage Jackson – a spent force?

Two former UFC light-heavyweight champions collide later this month at UFC 123. Both men are coming off losses. Both are 32-years-old. Yet only one sounds jaded.

Unsurprisingly, that man is not Lyoto Machida, but his opponent Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. One of the most exciting and charismatic fighters ever to compete in MMA, Jackson's career has nevertheless ebbed more than flowed in recent times.

Losing his championship to Forrest Griffin in 2008 seemed a tipping point. Struggling to assimilate the loss, Jackson suffered a very public meltdown during which he was arrested on felony hit and run charges following a high speed chase in California.

Jackson hadn't slept for days following the Griffin fight, sustaining himself on a pure diet of energy drinks until succumbing to delirium. He pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him and narrowly avoided jail time.

No elite fighter can fuel themselves through an agonising 8 - 12 week training camp based upon thoughts of financial renumeration alone.

Many questioned the UFC's wisdom in returning Jackson to action within six months. By then he'd fired long-term trainer Juanito Ibarra amidst allegations of misappropriated earnings. In light of such turbulences, a loss was forecast by most.

Instead, Jackson vanquished his old Pride nemesis Wanderlei Silva with a one-punch, first round knockout. The ghosts of the Griffin fight and its lurid aftermath appeared exorcised.

Following the Silva win, Jackson took on Keith Jardine in what was deemed a mere tune-up before fighting for the title. He won, but only just. Were it not for a late knockdown, Jardine might easily have gained the judges' nod.

Despite the lacklustre performance, Jackson maintained his number one contender-ship. Yet bafflingly, instead of pursuing the belt, he elected to coach season 10 of the Ultimate Fighter opposite Rashad Evans, with a fight between the two pencilled in for the season's end.

Rampage at the peak of his powers:

Amidst accusations of ducking then-champion Lyoto Machida, Jackson kept a dignified silence. But when he pulled out of the Evans fight to play BA Barracus in last year's A-Team reboot, a feud ignited between himself and the UFC that not only irreparably soured their relationship, but appeared to sour Jackson's relationship with MMA generally.

He wasted little time publicly venting a number of grievances against the UFC, most notably an accusation that he'd taken the TUF coaching role over a title shot only as a favour to UFC president Dana White. A prolonged media tit-for-tat between the two ensued.

The bitterness eventually fizzled into a frosty armistice, with Jackson backtracking on an announced retirement and agreeing to fulfill his UFC contract. The Evans fight finally took place nearly a year late.

Billed as an epic grudge match, it unfolded as an epic dud, during which Jackson appeared out-of-shape. For many, this was not a shock. In interviews of the time, Jackson was often at pains to express how disillusioned he'd grown with fighting since falling out with the UFC.

If anything, that posture has only worsened since. Jackson is surlier than ever in interviews, no longer speaks of MMA with even the faintest enthusiasm, and plainly declares money his overriding motivation.

No elite fighter can fuel themselves through an agonising 8 - 12 week training camp based upon thoughts of financial renumeration alone. There has to be drive, competitive spirit and ambition.

If Jackson can no longer muster these propellants, not only will he lose to Machida on 20 November, but MMA will find itself further estranged from one of its brightest stars.

By Alan Murphy