Rampage surges ahead in a legal battle against former management company

Besides launching an acting career, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been busy extricating himself from legal complications during his time away from the Octagon.

Last week, the former UFC light heavyweight champion was sentenced to three years of probation for a July 2008 traffic incident in which he was arrested following a high-speed car chase with the police. He also completed over 200 hours of community service.

Now, he has taken a step toward settling a million-dollar legal battle with a former management company.

According to MMAfighting, Jackson's former management company, White Chocolate Management, had sued the UFC star and his former manager Juanito Ibarra for several counts of "bad faith" breach of contract.

The suit alleges that, beginning in February 2007, Jackson and Ibarra had reneged on the non-exclusive deal with White Chocolate by rejecting every business opportunity offered. Also, the pair had been accused of disparaging the management company behind their backs.

In a decision dated Dec. 14, 2009 and obtained by MMA Fighting, New York Supreme Court Judge Barbara Kapnick dismissed all seven causes of action against Jackson, but left the door open for continued action on two causes if the plaintiffs can provide documentation to support their allegations.

The two causes that await final verdict are breach of contract, and aiding and abetting tortious acts against plaintiff. The aforementioned seven causes were dismissed with prejudice -- meaning the suit cannot be filed again: They included claims of tortious interference, trade disparagement, prima facie tort, defamation, and breach of covenant in good faith and fair dealing.

Robert Hantman, an attorney at the New York-based firm Hantman & Associates, delivered the following comment to MMAfighting on behalf of White Chocolate Management:

"The gist of our case was against Juanito Ibarra and his company, and Judge Kapnicks decision leaves the claims against him intact. As to Rampage, we intend to file an amended complaint on the breach of contract and aiding and abetting counts and go the distance, as neither WCM or our firm will submit.'"

Jackson, a former PRIDE star, has been filming the Mr. T "B.A. Baracus" role in a film adaptation of "The A-Team." He recently voiced his intent to return to the Octagon to face Rashad Evans in a showdown between opposing coaches in The Ultimate Fighter 10.