| Sign Up | Google+

Rampage Jackson sponsored by Reebok but claims UFC won't allow him to wear it into the Octagon

Stay connected for news and updates

Jon Kopaloff

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson finally landed a big-name sponsor for his mixed martial arts career. There's just one problem: "Rampage" claims UFC won't allow him to wear any Reebok gear come fight night.

It's not Nike, but it may be the next best thing.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson has a number of reasons why his upcoming fight against Glover Teixeira at UFC on FOX 6 will be his last. In addition to the "cheap" pay and the "cowards" who "disgust him," he thinks promotion matchmaker Joe Silva should be "shot in the face."

Now, he has a new reason.

On a recent UFC on FOX 6 media conference call (see it here), Jackson (32-10) revealed he's secured a sponsorship with Reebok, but claims the UFC brass have prohibited him from wearing the sneaker giant's branded apparel into the Octagon on fight night.

And that sent him into a "Rampage."

"My reasons for wanting to leave the UFC are still the same. Matchmaking is just one of the reasons. It's nothing about money. I've done this interview several times before and don't want to go into it. I have a new reason. I'm sponsored by Reebok and UFC says I can't wear Reebok in the cage. Stupid stuff like that. It's not about money, it's about respect. I'd rather take a money cut to go to another show and get appreciated. I'm sponsored by Reebok, just not allowed to wear it in the cage. I can't wear Reebok while I fight. I think in my opinion, the fighters do a lot for the sport and we're not taken care of well enough. I feel like they're getting rich off of all of us. We're having surgeries and injuries and some of these guys can't afford to pay sparring partners and stuff like that. I don't want to be a part of the sport like that. I want to go where they treat their fighters like human beings."

It should be noted his most recent surgery (see it here) was paid for by his employer.

Jackson turned in a lackluster performance in a unanimous decision loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144 last year in Japan. He attributed his poor showing to a knee injury suffered in training camp, one severe enough that it prompted him to seek testosterone injections.

It was also the first time the Memphis native missed weight for a UFC fight.

The loss to "Darth" was his second in a row, having been choked out by division champion Jon Jones in Sept. 2011. He needed the judges to get past Matt Hamill and Lyoto Machida in recent wins, and hasn't finished an opponent since pasting Wanderlei Silva back in 2008.

But if he wants to make himself a hot commodity post-UFC, he needs to go out with a bang on Jan. 26 in Chicago.

That could be a pretty tall order, as Teixeira (19-2) is coming off a complete one-sided ass-kicking that sent Fabio Maldonado to the hospital after two insane rounds of punishment at UFC 153 (see the pic here). Prior to that, the Brazilian choked out the venerable Kyle Kingsbury en route to a first round submission stoppage at UFC 146.

Get ready for war.

For more comments from "Rampage" at the UFC on FOX 6 media conference call, as well as remarks from some of the event's other major players like Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson, click here.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Recent Posts

Stay connected for news and updates

The Next Read

There are 87 Comments. Add yours. Load Now. Loading

Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.

C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read

R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next

Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read

Comment Settings

Live comment alert: Hide it!

tracking_pixel_5349_tracker tracking_pixel_5351_tracker