Exclusive: App-minded Rampage Jackson resumes training, 'doesn't care' if last UFC fight is buried

Despite being sidelined with a pair of knee injuries, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been keeping busy.

He's made appearances on Rob Dyrdek's "Ridiculousness," worked on a potential rap career, played a bit role in the movie 'Fire with Fire' and most recently came out with a new app called "Rampage Punch" for both iPhone and Droid.

Of course, in the world of MMA, he's been in hot water after criticizing the UFC's matchmaker as well as its promotional strategy. "Rampage" asked for his release following a UFC 144 loss to Ryan Bader, which is expected to be granted once he concludes the remaining fight on his current contract.

Jackson is currently riding the first two-fight losing streak in his storied 42-fight career.

MMAmania.com caught up with the Memphis native earlier today to talk his new app, Testosterone Replacement Therapy, potentially being buried in his final fight and of course, the timetable for his return in this exclusive interview.

Check it out:

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've said that this app was your idea, right? How did the teaming up with MEDL go? Did you approach them or did they approach you?

Quinton Jackson: I think it was my first time with an agency like that. I had this app idea and they knew how to make it into a video game so they took the lead and the rest is history.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): The app's been out about a month now. How have you measured the success of it thus far? It sounds like it's been doing pretty well.

Quinton Jackson: The app is doing very well. There are thousands and thousands of apps out there so I'm happy with the success it's having so far. I'll have some time to promote it the next time I fight and maybe I can do more promotion for it and stuff like that but I'm happy with it so far.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Do you know how the app actually measures how hard you punch? I've used it quite a bit now and I've scored a 95/100 all the way down to an 11/100 and had you tell me that I "punch like Dana White."

(Rampage laughs)

MEDL rep: It actually uses a combination of the accelerometer on the phone and a timer. It measures in between how fast you react to the bell to start and how hard you're punching and there's many different levels of difficulty between glass, wood and metal.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've got some great quotes on the app depending on how hard you punch. Do you ever think of any extra quotes, like maybe for a future update or patch to the game?

Quinton Jackson: We actually talked about that a couple times. It's pretty fun in the studio doing all those calls. That was one of the most fun parts about making the game. Some of that stuff is pretty funny.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I think my favorite was, "that couldn't have even knocked out Chuck Liddell."

Quinton Jackson: (laughs) I had to make some good MMA references since I'm an MMA guy.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): This isn't specifically about the app, but there was an article that came out pretty recently about an experience that a fan had where you brought them out and they did a big expo with your friends for Call of Duty. Could you talk a little bit about that experience? It seemed like those guys had a really good time.

Quinton Jackson: Yeah, I play Call of Duty quite a lot and the company that I play with, they're really good and stuff like that. I'm not that good at Call of Duty because I don't get enough time to play as much as I want, but these guys let me play with them and I got a call from the makers of Modern Warfare 3 and they wanted me to get a couple guys to get together and play against the director of the A-Team.

Most of my friends that I know don't really play that game so I just got together with some of my friends online. I'd never met any of those guys before and it was cool. They got flown out and we had a good time. We played and we kicked their butts in every game. Those guys are the real deal.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): That's awesome. I didn't hear who won because in the article, they omitted the results so I wasn't sure if that meant you lost or not. So you served them?

Quinton Jackson: So I just told it all? I didn't know. We served 'em big time.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Everyone's always asking about an update on your knee and everything. I know you had surgery on your right knee and you had an MRI or a scope on your left. I'm wondering, what was the results of the tests on your left knee? What did the MRI end up telling you?

Quinton Jackson: Well actually, my left knee is not torn yet. It's fraying which means that it's starting to tear. That was from when Jon Jones kicked my knee backwards during the fight. I'm healing up and I'm still in rehab.

Actually once I'm done on the phone here, I'm going to the gym. I'm back to training and stuff now. I just started back. My doctor said I could run the day after my birthday on June 21st so I can't wait to get back and start training and see how that knee is feeling and see when my next fight's gonna be.

I'm just trying to move forward with my fighting career. My left knee is starting to feel better. I'm not gonna do anything to it just yet. I'm just gonna do my rehab and go from there.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Wonderful. I was going to ask if you were still on track to have your first run this week, but you answered it for me already.

Quinton Jackson: Yeah, I'm going to put some stress on it and see how it goes.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You mentioned a couple months ago that you still felt you could fight another 10 years now. Is that still something in your head or are you toning it back a little bit?

Quinton Jackson: Well that was before I had surgery I was talking like that. Let's see how this knee's doing. I never had surgery before this and I hope I never need surgery again. Being sideline and having the rehab process. That was something I really didn't like.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Yeah, that was your first time having surgery, so that definitely must have been a really different experience.

Quinton Jackson: Yeah, I definitely don't want to have surgery again. That's why I'm trying to avoid surgery on the left knee....Right now I'm just concentrating on healing myself and coming back 100 percent. I never want to fight injured again. I've made my mind up. My next fight, I want to be 100 percent or as close to 100 percent as I can possibly be.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Even if you were fighting in Japan again and you were hurt, you'd just have to back out because you wanted to make sure you were fully healthy?

Quinton Jackson: Yes. It don't matter where I'm fighting at. Like I've said, no one appreciates it [when I fight hurt], so I'm not gonna do bad for my health and I'm not gonna fight injured every again. No matter where I'm fighting at. If I'm hurt, I'm backing out.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You started up on TRT because of your knee injury. Is that something you're going to keep doing once your knee is fully healed?

Quinton Jackson: Well I'll have to talk to my doctor. If I talk to my doctor and my levels are still low and he suggests that I stay on it, then I will. If not, then I won't.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): This is the last fight in your contract. Are you concerned at all that [the UFC] might try to bury you like they did with Arlovski in the last fight of his contract?

Quinton Jackson: Actually, I wouldn't care if they did that. I don't care. They can do whatever they want to do. The reasons I made the decision to leave the UFC are the same reasons I left Pride. They can do what they want. I don't care.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): There was a fighter that signed with Bellator and he got a special deal with TNA, a combo deal to work both promotions. Is that something that would interest you at all since you're a fan of pro wrestling?

Quinton Jackson: I don't know. It depends how often I'd be on TNA and how much money they're talking about. It all depends on that stuff.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Last question before I let you go. You've mentioned that you were hoping to get back around September. Are you still hoping for that or are you still not 100 percent sure yet?

Quinton Jackson: September or October, we'll see. I've got a lot of weight to lose. (laughs)

You can check out Jackson's app "Rampage Punch" on both the iPhone and Droid for free. You can also follow Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on Twitter @Rampage4Real.

Could Jackson actually be buried in his final UFC fight a la Andrei Arlovski? If he comes back at 100 percent like he's proclaiming, could he return to form?

Opinions, please.