The brewing battle between Dana White and Rampage Jackson seems to have come to a head.
Yesterday, Rampage Jackson announced through his own website that he was essentially retiring from MMA and the UFC:
The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them … this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year & as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away & asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the tv show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcohalic & addicted to drugs & we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad & I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad & I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the tv with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that & I still did nothing. Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bullshit & he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released & talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I’m not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties & neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy.. so I’m done fighting. I’ve been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don’t pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I’m hanging it up. I’m gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they’ll follow me to my new career & I will gain more loyal fans along the way. & all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! & anybody that don’t like what I just said can come try to kick my ass! I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn’t respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!
Today, Dana White responded:
“Rampage is a grown man,” White told Carmichael Dave on the radio station KHTK (audio here). “He’s acting like a baby right now, but he’s a grown man. If he wants to be in the movie business, Rampage, good luck to you, man. I hope he makes it big, and I’m not being sarcastic. … I hope the movie thing works out for him. If that’s what he truly wants to do, and that’s what he feels and that’s what he thinks his career is, I wish him all the luck in the world.”
White said he didn’t get any advance warning from Jackson about the surprise retirement announcement and that he still likes Jackson personally, but that if Jackson wants to leave the UFC, White can’t stop him.
“I just found out, too,” White said. “Rampage has been a friend of ours. We really like Rampage. I’m not going to get into the battle of who’s done what for who and all that stuff. We’ve done a lot for him and yes, he’s been there and fought. The guys who come in here, they’re fighters. That’s what they do. We give them fights and they fight. And they make money and we make money. That’s the way it works.”
Payout Perspective:
It really does seem as though this is just another chapter of the Rampage-UFC saga. I’m sure each side has its own story, but the bottom line is that both groups need one another.
The UFC has stuck with Rampage and were very supportive through his legal and ailment issues. They’ve also invested a lot of money in promoting the guy, without a great deal of return. He’s been the coach on two TUF series, fought in numerous main events, and despite all that never really caught on the way he should have. Just when it appears as though Rampage might be ready to breakthrough, all hell breaks loose.
Likewise, Rampage has shown to have a personality, but really no significant future in entertainment (aside from what some have pointed out to be a rather typecast role of the intimidating bully that doesn’t say much, but looks really mean). I doubt he’s going to earn the kind of living as a full-time actor – and without the association of the UFC – as he will fighting in the UFC for a few more years and retiring to acting/entertainment with a much higher profile.
I’d expect this to be rectified in the coming weeks and months. Emotional spats happen, but it more than always comes down to business.
Also, kudos to Dana White for his tempered response – maybe he’s really learned from some of his past mistakes. It wouldn’t have helped the situation to insult or belittle Rampage any further. White has left his options open with his tactful approach and should be commended.
I agree with your analysis Kelsey. I think this will blow over eventually. I imagine once he’s done filming and other offers don’t start pouring in Rampage will realize he’s still marketable and can have some good paydays left in MMA.
There is obviously blame to go around to both sides, but the UFC really stuck their neck out for Rampage with his “rampage”, pun intended. The UFC is trying to go mainstream and to have a main event fighter having police chasing him, hopping curbs and bashing into cars wasn’t the pub the UFC was looking for, especially considering he did it with a HUGE picture of himself on the side of the truck. I really think Rampage should have fully discussed the A-Team situation with the UFC and tried to work something out.
He handled it well?
“The crazy thing about this Rampage thing is he’s giving away a lot of money to do the A-Team. You can’t fix stupid.” – Dana white
I can’t believe how amateurish the Zuffa management team still is. How can they not have built in severe penalties for skipping out on a fight (with the exception of injury) into the TUF contracts? They could use a Vice-President of Common Sense down there at UFC headquarters.
Rampage didn’t just burn the bridge. He blasted the whole thing down. If he just intended this to be a negotiating ploy, he simply resigns and walks away. Here he resigned and told everyone, Dana White and the fans to F off.
That’s Rampage the junkyard dog at his legendary best, backing down from no one, hell with the consequences.
Also disingenuous to insinuate his mental capacity is suspect in this decision.
His post is lucid, emotional, eloquent and he explains pointedly the reasons behind his actions. Most important, he makes no personal to Dana White, unlike the constant belittling White gave Rampage.
You are correct, it is commendable that Dana White is finally showing a smidgen of diplomacy.
It just might be too little and too late.
@ Derek
Rampage didn’t skip out on TUF. As far as I know, he did the whole season. He bailed on the subsequent fight with Rashad, which I believe would need its own contract. Unfortunately, that contract was never drawn/signed. If it were, all this could’ve been nipped in the bud.
Also, I nominate the Scottish Castrol Edge spokesman for VP of common sense.
“Think with your dipstick, Dana!”
I dont see where people think its fair to blame the UFC for not having a Veto clause over outside projects. Until now there has never been a need for a clause. The UFC has always set the fighters up with deals. Fans and fighters alike are already bitching that the UFC contracts are to restrictive. Imagine having that clause in Fedor’s contract. The UFC can veto outside projects. It wouldn’t go over well with fans or fighters until they see first hand a reason for the clause. Now is that time.
I believe QJ will be back. I think he feels by not being a fighter and not working for Dana White. He cant film his movie without having to have any contact with Dana and listen to Dana try to talk him out of it. He also kills the back and forth arguing from carrying over and effecting his movie. He will comeback after the film is made and be ready to fight.
To bad for him fighters who screw the UFC pay in the long run. Combat sports is all about styles and match ups. Everyone can be beat. Its all about finding the right match up. People who cross the UFC always get the worst possible fights.
We don’t pay this mans bills, he has the right to do as he chooses. It’s been well documented that the UFC underpays there fighters. Rampage will make as much doing this movie as he would in 2 or 3 fights, not to mention the future potential. I wish he’d do both, but again, this is his choice. And remember all these comments come from Dana, a man who has a net worth of 135 million dollars!