Big House Boxing

On July 5, prepare for an encore of fireworks as The UFC TUF coaches Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson collide in the center of the octagon for the UFC Light-heavyweight Title. Coming off one his longest training camps for a fight ever a humble but confident Quinton Jackson took time out of his exhausting schedule to discuss his up coming clash with the Ex-TUF Champion. In this must read interview Quinton talks Griffin, the TUF experience, and gives us his thoughts on a possible UFC Rampage homecoming fight in Tennessee. All this and much more in this Big House Boxing exclusive.

by Jonathan Brown

JB: What’s up Champ?

QJ: Chillin homey.

JB: How was your training camp?

QJ: It was alright. It was probably one of the longest training camps I ever had, seven weeks.

JB: The UFC Audience hasn’t seen any of those vintage Rampage slams that you became famous for in King of the Cage and Pride. Do you think Forrest’s straight forward aggressive style will provide you with some opening for a slam?

QJ: Yeah, because I normally get the slam when people make a mistake. I never train for the slam. I haven’t done a slam since Matt Lindland. I was going to slam Dan Henderson, but the bell rang. I’ll look for it if he makes a mistake, but other then that I’m looking to do my other stuff.

JB: What’s the strongest part of his game in your eyes? What are you most concerned about coming into this fight?

QJ: What am I concerned about? I’m not concerned about anything.

JB: What do you think is the strongest part of his game?

QJ: The strongest part of his game is maybe that Forrest has a lot of determination.

JB: Who did you train with for this fight?

QJ: A lot of guys: Chiek Kongo, Hector Ramirez, Jeremy May, Mike Dolce, Gerald Harris, Dave Roberts…(stops talking)

JB: Going into this fight is there any bad blood between you and Griffin, or is it just another fight?

QJ: It’s just another fight. I don’t have bad blood.

JB: Not looking past Forrest if you had the choice of whom you could fight next out of Machida, Wanderlei, or the Evans vs. Liddell winner who would it be?

QJ: I don’t know man. It doesn’t matter! They’re all going to come. I don’t care who it is.

JB: I heard MMA got sanctioned in Tennessee. Is there a UFC plan for a Rampage homecoming yet?

QJ: I would like there to be. I would hope to fight in my hometown.

JB: How was the Ultimate Fighter experience for you?

QJ: Well it was a lot of work. It was good to get to know everybody and stuff like that, but you know…It’s kind of hard being in front of the cameras for six weeks, but it was worth it the fans responded pretty well I think.

JB: What was your reaction to J.T getting kick off the show?

QJ: I felt bad for J.T, but I was happy for C.B to get a second chance.

JB: What did you think of the Sadollah vs. Dollaway re-match?

QJ: About the outcome? How do you think I felt? It sucked!

JB: Anderson Silva and Brandon Vera are making their debuts at light-heavyweight on July 19. How do think they will adapt to the division?

QJ: I don’t think Anderson Silva will have trouble making the weight. Brandon Vera won’t have trouble making the weight either, all he has to do is eat right. I think those guys will do pretty well.

JB: Who do you like in the up and coming Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia fight?

QJ: Both of those guys I consider good friends of mine, so you know good luck to both of them. I just hope they both come out unhurt. A fight is a fight.

JB: Are you still sponsored by Affliction?

QJ: Yes

JB: What did you think about the Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson fight?

QJ: I thought James Thompson did a pretty good job.

JB: Do you think the fight should have been stopped when Thompson hit him with like 20 unanswered shots in the second round?

QJ: It didn’t look like it was hurting him. That’s probably why the referee didn’t stop it, but who knows some of these referees probably would of called it and some wouldn’t of.

JB: Why do you think James Thompson fought with that big-ass cauliflower thing growing out of his ear?

QJ: Yeah that was weird. I think he just didn’t have the right people in his corner.

JB: We got a lot of young kids and young adults training at our gym trying to get to your level. Any advice for them?

QJ: Yeah. I’d tell all the kids to stay away from drugs especially drugs like steroids, because that’s false. People that take those drugs don’t have long careers.

JB: Thanks for the interview Champ.

QJ: No problem

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