Bellator goes to court to keep 'Rampage' Jackson from fighting in UFC

It was a newsworthy weekend for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, all done without him having to lift a glove or take a single punch, and the new week promises more of the same.

Bellator MMA issued a statement on Monday indicating that they've not given up the legal fight to keep Jackson under contract, something that Scott Coker has been promising ever since Jackson's UFC return was announced.

From Bellator's press release:

Bellator MMA was compelled to go to court to stop Quinton "Rampage" Jackson from fighting in an April 25th bout promoted by Bellator's competitor, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jackson, who has completed only three fights of his exclusive six-fight contract with Bellator, is barred by contract from fighting for any promoter other than Bellator.

In short, Bellator is seeking an injunction to prevent Jackson from taking a bout with Brazilian slugger Fabio Maldonado at the UFC 186 pay-per-view (PPV) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - a bout announced by UFC over a month ago. There's no word on why Bellator took this long to respond but their legal position in the release seems perfectly clear.

Our lawsuit for an injunction and related relief - filed in the Chancery Division of the Superior Court in Burlington County, New Jersey - will compel Jackson to honor his contractual agreement.  We look forward to having one of our MMA stars fighting for Bellator again.

They can also look forward to a few F bombs from Jackson in response - or maybe even a counter lawsuit.

To see the current UFC 186 lineup -- which still includes Jackson vs. Maldonado at this moment -- click here.