UFC 114 is a grudge fight!
It’s simple: Rampage Jackson & Rashad Evans hate one another !!
Rampage Jackson’s movie career as B.A. Baracus in the film version of “The A-Team,” will start soon but before it does he has one more sucker deal with.
Although Jackson’s film career could skyrocket next month, he ain’t acting when he talks of his hatred for with Rashad Evans.
These two UFC light heavyweight champs positively detest each other, as they’ve illustrated during a very funny publicity tour for UFC 114, turning a spectacle with no title fights into one of the most forecasted UFC events in recent times.
Jackson (30-7) and Evans (19-1-1) will get their grudge match many years in the making Saturday Evening at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
“This is the first time I’m actually going to enjoy beating the hell out of somebody,” Jackson said.
The winner may meet new light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the belt later this season, but both fighters are intent on settling personal scores which is rare in mixed martial arts, where very few fighters speak publicly about their dislike for their opponent.
“It adds a little more, as far as all the hype and the mental energy you’ve got to put into it,” Evans said. “You do have to remember you’re training for a fight, and you can’t overtrain just because you don’t like the person. It’s been kind of fun, to be honest. Every time I find myself not wanting to do something, I just think of something he said, and it gives me the extra little push.”
So whats behind Evans and Jackson’s hatred?
Where to begin?
Jackson says he was pissed several years ago when Evans suggested training with him after beating one of Jackson’s teammates, a sign of disrespect to Jackson’s gym. Evans was irked by Jackson’s distainful treatment of him, and they had a memorable verbal confrontation last season, moments after Jackson beat Evans’ teammate and close confidant, Keith Jardine.
Further, Jackson doesn’t like Evans’ attitude toward UFC, including his strategy of takedown wrestling moves instead of standup fighting skills.
“His head is bigger than a hot air balloon,” Jackson said.
So, Evans has criticized Jackson for “pretending to be stupid” and perpetuating stereotypes of ignorant black athletes. Evans, who also is black, also referred to Jackson as “the Tin Man” for his perceived lack of fight in his defeat to Rua in April 2005.
“I think these two have eclipsed any grudge match we’ve ever had,” UFC president Dana White said. “You can tell this is genuine. These guys really don’t like each other, and they really want to fight. I don’t think anybody can say that these guys are putting on an act, even though Rampage is now an actor. They’re definitely not acting.”
So, they’ve been after each other for ages, with Jackson dismissing Evans’ achievements and referring to Saturday’s fight as his training fight for the expected title shot. Evans taunted Jackson at the pre-fight news conference Wednesday, although Jackson mostly stayed sillent and refused to humor him.
Jackson’s training partner, Michael Bisping, will meet Dan Miller in the final bout before the main event at UFC 114 on a card also featuring Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Diego Sanchez.
This is Jacksons first fight since March 2009. He was scheduled to fight Evans last year at UFC 107 in his hometown of Memphis as the end to each season of the UFC’s reality TV show, “The Ultimate Fighter,” on which both fighters served as coaches, but Jackson pulled out to end “The A-Team.”
His A-Team co-star Jessica Biel will be among the celebs in the crowd Saturday night.
“I already forgot I did a damn movie,” Jackson said. “It’s got nothing to do with this fight. It’s all how I make a living. The movie has been done with a long time ago, and I don’t even think about it no more. … I ain’t never lied about why I do the things I do. I fight for money and I work. It’s my job, so I’m all about making the most as I can make, saving up for my future. Whatever is bringing in the most cash, that’s where I’ll be at. That’s real.”
Although his choice to postpone the grudge match angered White at the time, Jackson says his time out of the octagon helped him heal from the accumulated injuries of his most recent fights. He hurt his jaw one week before knocking out Wanderlei Silva in December 2008, and it hadn’t fully healed by the time he won a unanimous decision over Jardine last year.
Evans won the UFC light heavyweight title by stopping Forrest Griffin in December 2008, but lost it five months later in a knockout loss to Lyoto Machida. Evans beat Thiago Silva in a tuneup bout in January after Jackson pulled out of their meeting.
Evans and Jackson will hand out grudging compliments on their opponents’ skills if prodded. Jackson admires Evans’ wrestling skills, while Evans realizes Jackson earned his nickname for a reason.
“I’m not going to be underestimating him,” Evans said. “I think I’m probably going to be fighting the best Quinton I ever fought.”
