Rampage Believes Team Jackson Is "Ruining MMA"

Quote :

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson believes MMA trainer Greg Jackson's team is ruining MMA. On Denver radio, Rampage was featured alongside UFC 135 opponent Jon Jones, who is one of two UFC champions that trains out of Team Jackson in Albuquerque, N.M. Jackson
is nicknamed "Yoda" by students and peers due to his ability to analyze
fights and concoct masterful game plans. But everyone doesn't
appreciate his chess-like approach to MMA. "I have to say that
right now. Jackson, man, ya'll are some boring fighters. Ya'll ruining
MMA for me, straight up," said Rampage. "I guarantee you Jon Jones don't
fight me like a man. Just like his boy, his old teammate Rashad. He
came from the Jackson team––the most boring team out there right now." Evans
defeated Rampage by a unanimous decision at UFC 114 in what has to be
one of the most disappointing grudge matches of all time. Few fights had
ever garnered the hype of Rampage versus Evans. When the fight
finally came around, months of anticipation came down to a 15-minute
tussle against the cage. Against another phenomenal wrestler, Rampage
expects Jones to attempt to implement a similar strategy.Jackson's
MMA has quickly become one of the most successful gyms in the world.
Along with Jones, the gym also includes UFC welterweight champion
Georges St-Pierre, who has been subject to plenty of criticism for his
lack of fight finishes. "All these game plans and stuff––GSP was
the man before he started training over there with Jackson. I still like
GSP, but I wish he would go and do his own thing cause GSP is one of
the best fighters out there, straight up. And ya'll ruining MMA,"
Rampage said. Finishing hasn't been a problem for Jones, who has gone the distance only two times in his professional career.

Bleacher Report


Im hard pressed to find anything that Rampage said there that I don't fully agree with. Greg Jackson's guys go out there to not lose, and thats it. Some times it seems as though they are there solely for the W and not the spectators at all. Even I, a former wrestler, will get frustrated at times, when I have to sit and watch the humpinz for 15 minutes.

Judges horrible decisions are about the only weapon the MMA world has against Greg Jackson's army of sleep inducing fighters. Throw the yellow card argument around, Jackson will tell his guys to do enough not to get one. But, do enough to win and you can still lose because good old Cecil is texting half the time.

So whose fault is this really? Jackson's for creating boring game plans, or the UFC for allowing it? The rules greatly favor wrestlers, why wouldn't someone like GSP use that to his advantage and smother dudes for 25 minutes? He gets wins, thats why he's still the champ and will be for a long time.

And for the record, I'm playing devil's advocate here. I really hope GSP loses to Nick Diaz so we can see the ninja GSP who destroyed Matt Hughes, BJ, and pretty much everyone he fought when he wasn't champ.

butterknifeninja wrote:

And for the record, I'm playing devil's advocate here. I really hope GSP loses to Nick Diaz so we can see the ninja GSP who destroyed Matt Hughes, BJ, and pretty much everyone he fought when he wasn't champ.

That's a VERY good point. I never thought of it that way....but you're right, you almost hope he loses so you can see the old non champ GSP come back.

The only way to counter this is to give "wrestlers" a very limited time to "improve their position". Requiring stand-ups earlier may avoid some of the "lay and prey" but really this is not a new issue. Gracie JJ had this complaint since Royce first stepped into the octagon.

Maybe another way to counter this style is to double the purse for a finish and half the purse for a judges decision. I could see Dana going for this cause he hates the judges.

Don't hate the player .... hate the game.

well if they would allow holding the fence this could help stop the take downs for them from happening so often. i would be okay with that .At least then when wrestlers complain about it, all the strikers can say deal with it or find a way around it, just like they say about there lay and pray.

Oh come on now. Thats a stretch and a half. The striker would be using an instrument to get an advantage... if we do that we should make the canvas more like a sheet so whilst lay and praying they have something to hold on to....

Edit: in your case could a guy use the cage to hold an opponent down as well?

I don't know I kind of find Rampage boring at this point I mean he either Ko's people or get's boring decisions himself.

Chrom wrote:

Oh come on now. Thats a stretch and a half. The striker would be using an instrument to get an advantage... if we do that we should make the canvas more like a sheet so whilst lay and praying they have something to hold on to....

Edit: in your case could a guy use the cage to hold an opponent down as well?

valid point.

I think you should be able to use the cage in certain situations ,but never to stop a takedown.