Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s decision to retire from mixed martial arts and walk away from the UFC took the MMA community by storm.
The announcement was a surprise to almost everyone involved in the sport. Jackson and UFC President Dana White had been at odds for months over Jackson’s long-time desire to play the role of the legendary B.A. Baracus in the film remake of the popular A-Team television series, but White indicated last weekend that he and Jackson had mended fences and were moving forward.
Jackson’s retirement seemingly came from nowhere. In truth, it was a direct result of months upon months of insults, biting comments, broken promises and bad decisions.
Before Jackson’s last bout with Keith Jardine at UFC 96, he was offered the chance to face Rashad Evans, then the UFC light heavyweight champion. All Jackson had to do was defeat the very game Jardine, a mercurial talent who has made a career of both beating long odds and failing in situations where he should succeed.
Jackson jumped at the chance. Not only would he get another shot at the belt he believed he never truly lost in the first place, but he’d be stepping in the cage with a man who he’d developed a strong personal distaste for. Jackson felt Evans became too cocky after wins over an aging Chuck Liddell and the over-hyped Forrest Griffin, and looked forward to taking him down a notch or two.
As expected, Jackson defeated Jardine. After the bout (and much to the surprise of Jackson), Rashad Evans was brought into the cage to interrupt Jackson’s post-fight interview. In a scene straight out of a pro wrestling classic, Evans and Jackson went nose to nose in a trash talking session that sent fans into a tizzy. It’s not often that the UFC allows situations like this one to unfold; it’s even more rare when the hatred on display is obviously real.
Later that evening, Jackson rested in his locker room at the Nationwide Arena. He was looking forward to the title shot, looking forward to getting the championship back around his waist. His only concern at the moment, however, was getting some much-needed rest. Jackson was injured and sore, and he planned to take a few months off before starting preparation for the UFC 100 bout with Evans in July.
Only the fight wasn’t happening in July. It was happening in May.
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An injury to Frank Mir had pushed the planned heavyweight title bout between Mir and Brock Lesnar to July, and the Jackson/Evans fight would replace it on the UFC 98 card in May.
That wasn’t acceptable to Jackson. He needed rest, and he was going to take it, title shot or no.
Lyoto Machida replaced Jackson in the Evans bout, and Jackson was asked if he wanted to coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Jackson, who had coached previously and knew how a turn on the show could turn him into a bigger star, accepted. He rooted heavily for Evans to beat Machida, but it was not to be.
After the Machida win, Jackson was given a choice: he could face Lyoto Machida in September for the belt, or he could coach The Ultimate Fighter and fight Evans at the conclusion of the season.
Dana White made it absolutely clear which route he preferred for Jackson to take. The Evans fight would bring in far more money. The dynamic between Jackson and Evans would make for dynamite television and perhaps revive a show that spent the past few years struggling to regain the magic of earlier seasons. And if Jackson beat Evans at the end of the show, he’d get a shot at Machida.
It was a win-win situation, and Jackson’s decision was easy. He took the coaching role on the Ultimate Fighter for a second time. He’d always wanted to fight in his hometown of Memphis, and White decided that the Evans fight would be the perfect chance to run the town for the first time.
He booked the arena and the fight and started telling fans and anyone who would listen that the Jackson/Evans fight would be the most anticipated bout in company history. Jackson, with the pay per view cut written into his contract, could potentially earn millions on the fight.
Everything was falling into place.
Then everything fell apart.
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Shortly after filming completed for The Ultimate Fighter, Jackson learned that he was seriously being considered as a candidate for the role of B.A. Baracus on the A-Team remake, a role made famous by Laurence “Mr. T” Tureaud in the 1980’s. Jackson had campaigned for the role for over a year, but believed his lack of an acting resume would keep him from securing the role.
The role had sentimental value to him, as he spent much of his childhood watching the show with his father. But Jackson was up against other actors with long resumes and plenty of name value; rappers Ice Cube and The Game were the candidates most often discussed.
When he heard that he might get the role, Jackson approached White to discuss the situation. White did not approve of the idea. He’d placed Jackson on The Ultimate Fighter to build up a fight with Evans, a decision that couldn’t be reversed. He’d booked a show in Memphis solely to give Jackson the chance to fight in his hometown.
No, he didn’t like the idea. And he told anyone who would listen that it was a stupid idea, that Jackson should concentrate on Rashad Evans and that fighters who attempt movie careers almost always fail.
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It wasn’t so much that White had a problem with fighters who make movies. He just had a problem with fighters who backed out of fights that were already booked in order to make movies. The fact that they’d just finished filming what he believed to be the best season of The Ultimate Fighter in company history, a season that centered around the Jackson/Evans grudge match, certainly didn’t help matters.
Finally, Jackson got the news he was waiting for — he’d landed the part. He’d beaten out established actors to land a major role in a movie that would almost assuredly do giant box office numbers around the world. He was joining an All Star cast filled with names like Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel.
White didn’t budge. Much of his success comes from being an executive with the mind of an everyday fan, and he hated the idea of postponing the Jackson/Evans bout. To him, it was incomprehensible that Jackson would turn down the millions of dollars that the Evans bout would bring in favor of accepting a movie role that, because of Jackson’s lack of Hollywood experience, would pay very little guaranteed money.
Company officials tried to convince White that having Jackson star in what is sure to be a hit film would be extremely beneficial to the UFC in the long run. They argued that Jackson’s visibility in the movie could help the company break into new countries that they’ve never visited.
Not only that, but there was plenty of potential for fans to see the movie and decide that dropping $50 to see B.A. Baracus fight for real was a great idea.
But once again, White didn’t budge. Jackson had committed to the show and committed to the Evans fight. White felt betrayed by Jackson, a fighter who had received preferential treatment from the company ever since they purchased the World Fighting Alliance in 2006 solely to absorb his contract.
So White did what he is inclined to do in this type of situation: he took off the internal filter and began speaking candidly about his feelings towards Jackson. He told the press that Jackson was an idiot, that he was making a giant mistake. In a situation that was eerily similar to White’s feud with Tito Ortiz, he refused to even say Jackson’s name. The situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Meanwhile, Jackson took up temporary residence in Vancouver. Principal photography on The A-Team began, and it became official: Jackson was B.A. Baracus.
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On September 17th, Jackson and White buried the hatchet. Two days later, White addressed the situation during the UFC 103 post-show press conference.
“Rampage and I actually made up. We made up two days ago,” said White. “I still don’t like it, but we made up.”
But White couldn’t resist taking another shot at Jackson. Jackson wasn’t getting paid very much for the movie, White said, but was promised millions of dollars for the sequel.
“He’s walking away from millions for nothing,” said White. “You can’t coach stupid.”
When White’s comments were relayed to Jackson, he was livid. Jackson had mostly maintained a cool head throughout the situation, but now he was angry. He was especially angry with White for poking fun at the sentimental value the A-Team held for Jackson; he’d spent many hours in front of the television as a child, watching the show with his father.
White poked fun at Jackson’s sentiments, saying that Rashad Evans wasn’t seeking a role on a Love Boat remake. The comment passed over the heads of most fans, but I’ve been told that it hurt Jackson deeply.
White’s decision to talk about his salary agreement for the movie was the final straw.
On September 22, Jackson revealed the stunning news on his official website: he was leaving the UFC and retiring from mixed martial arts.
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I don’t believe that Quinton Jackson will stay “retired” for long. Jackson and Dana White are at an impasse in their personal and professional relationship, but it’s nothing that cannot be restored by a simple conversation. In order for that restoration to happen, however, both Jackson and White will have to realize that they each made mistakes.
Jackson’s decision to take the movie role wasn’t the end of the world, and White should not have overreacted in the manner he did.
Postponing the fight for several months wasn’t an ideal situation, but it would have made almost zero difference in the revenue for the show. Matt Serra and Matt Hughes were supposed to fight after they coached The Ultimate Fighter, but injuries derailed the bout. It didn’t happen for eighteen months, but fan anticipation remained incredibly high when they finally locked horns at UFC 98 earlier this year.
Postponing the show wasn’t the perfect solution, but it wasn’t the end of the world. White’s reaction was one of pure emotion, the type of response that at once makes White one of the most popular figures in the sport and at times a liability in business negotiations.
But his reactions have occasionally cost him dearly. And while I don’t believe that Rampage will stay retired for long, it’s readily apparent that the relationship White and Jackson used to enjoy has taken a permanent hit because of the words White chose to employ.
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Jackson should also understand that casting blame for his troubles on the UFC and White probably isn’t the best decision he can make.
White stood by him and supported him after his much-publicized meltdown and hit-and-run incident in 2007, a time when the overwhelming majority of employers would have simply cut ties and no longer associated themselves with Jackson. White carefully nurtured Jackson’s fragile psyche by forcing him to attend UFC events and defended him vigorously against attackers in the media.
That history should have counted for something, but Jackson made the same mistake as White: he reacted emotionally to the situation.
White mostly took the high road upon hearing the Jackson news, saying that Jackson was “acting like a baby right now” but wishing the fighter luck in the future.
Jackson and White will eventually smooth things over, perhaps even in time for a Evans/Jackson bout to take place as planned in the spring of 2010. The fight will still do a massive buyrate, and everyone involved will make plenty of money.
But both men should learn important lessons from the entire ordeal. Otherwise, there’s nothing to prevent it from happening again.
