Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is one of the most iconic fighters in both the UFC and Japan's famed PRIDE FC MMA organization.
Rampage is the only fighter to officially unify the PRIDE title (middleweight championship) with a UFC title (light heavyweight championship), a tremendous feat, as he was only taking high-profile fights against top-tier competition.
During their rematch in the main event of UFC 71 in 2007, Liddell attempted a body shot, a technique that made Rampage audibly grunt in pain during their first fight, but the story didn't reach the same conclusion a second time.
Instead, Rampage learned from the lead hook to the body, a natural setup for his overhand right that popped him during their PRIDE encounter. Apparently, it was a lesson learned, as Rampage looked out for the specific level change and had a taller posture. Throughout his career, Jackson was a reactive striker, and it was proven when his intended uppercut seamlessly became a hook.
Since Rampage followed Liddell's punch trajectory perfectly, the mid-swing adjustment led to devastating effects in the fight between two legends. Take a look at the clip to learn exactly what he did:
I always respected Rampage for his incredible strength - and speed - to deliver absolutely dominating KOs and TKOs against opponents... until he couldn't, as all long-time pro fighters get long in the tooth eventually. The thing about it, however, is that Rampage's ability to possibly knock someone the fuck out, along with his brash, loud personality, his technical striking, and standup fight IQ, was often overlooked.
He indeed endured some high-profile issues with weight and conditioning, leading to his eventual move from LHW up to the heavyweight division. However, I tend to remember him more fondly for the memories of his fight against Dan Henderson at UFC 75, with those snappy jab-cross combinations and stellar head movement to earn a decision victory after five rounds. He avoided Hendo's famed H-bomb right hand of proverbial dynamite - and avoided a reckless all-out brawl - and chose to outbox his fellow PRIDE and UFC veteran counterpart.
It has been seven years since Rampage last fought, but he has also successfully retired into a life of streaming on the KICK platform. If you were a fan of Rampage during his fight career, you might find his streaming content entertaining, so I recommend watching some clips here and there.
No comments:
Post a Comment