Tag: Matt Hamill (Page 3 of 3)

      Rampage Jackson thinking about post-retirement plans

      May 9, 2011 /

      nullMove over Randy Couture, looks like someone else is ready to retire from MMA and jump into the movie world.

      Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson told Five Knuckles that he is setting up his future after fighting and, if the movie world paid him enough money, he would retire now.

      “Honestly, I’ve been known for keeping it real and I have to keep it real,” Jackson said. “As soon as movies start paying me more than I make to fight, I’m gone. It don’t hurt to make movies. It don’t hurt that bad. Everyday I train. Everyday I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t wait until I get another big movie.'”

      When asked if movies were his future, Jackson didn’t shy around the question.

      “Hell yeah, you can’t fight forever,” Jackson said. “I don’t have the type of blood Randy Couture has. I give it up to him. I take my hate off to that guy, but I’m not that guy. I don’t plan on fighting until I’m 40. And I’m not Chuck Liddell. I’m not coming to work inside the UFC office when I retire. That’s not me. I’m an entertainer, I like making people laugh. I like doing movies, action moves and stuff like that. I might even try to be a comedian one day, who knows?

      “I wanna keep going after I get done fighting. Some fans are kinda selfish, they don’t understand I got four kids that gotta be put through college and everything. MMA don’t have an MMA pension. They don’t pay you once you retire. I got bills, I gotta keep going.”

      Jackson is still a force, but I think his best days are behind him. It will be interesting to see if Jackson considers hanging it up if he is upset by Matt Hamill at UFC 130 on May 28.

      Events, Fighters, News, UFC

      The UFC Dark Horses

      May 6, 2011 /

      nullEveryone knows who the champions are in the UFC.

      But, to really know MMA is to know which fighters are the future of the sport.

      I don’t pretend to be a psychic, but I do think I know a talented fighter when I see them. So, here is a list of one fighter in each division that is somewhat under the radar. Each of these guys has the raw ability to someday get to the UFC title, if they continue to evolve and strengthen their weaknesses.

      Heavyweight – Travis Browne (10-0-1) – Browne is coming off a draw with Cheick Kongo at UFC 120, but that isn’t a terrible showing for just his second fight in the UFC. It was the first time Browne hadn’t won and he has knockout wins over Abe Wagner and James McSweeney to his credit. He also has five knockout wins that have come in under 60 seconds. If Browne can develop his grappling skills to match his punching power, he will become a very dangerous opponent in the heavyweight division. Browne will be showcased on UFC 130 as he takes on Stefan Struve.

      Light Heavyweight – Matt Hamill (10-2) – In a stacked light heavyweight division, many are forgetting about Matt Hamill. Winner of five straight, Hamill has wins over Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine, and technically is the lone black mark on Jon Jones’ career, though it was by disqualification. Still, Hamill has some of the best wrestling in the division and his boxing is getting better. He has also shown the ability to take a punch, which will come in handy at UFC 130, when he takes on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. A win for Hamill has to put him in the top five for title contenders.

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      Fighters, UFC

      Top 10 Light Heavyweight Rankings

      April 13, 2011 /

      nullAfter having released my pound-for-pound and heavyweight top 10 rankings, it is time to unveil my first light heavyweight top 10 list.

      1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is the easy pick as he has destroyed everyone in his path on his way to the UFC championship. Media pundits are quick to label Jones as an unstoppable champion, but those same words were spoken about Lyoto Machida two years ago. Jones has been unbelievable thus far, but we have still yet to see him overcome adversity in the octagon.

      2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): I put Evans in my No. 2 spot as he has just one loss in his career. It was an embarrassing loss to Machida, but I think it was more due to a poor game plan as opposed to the lack of skills to beat him. Evans has quickness with his hands and feet and has a sturdy base with great wrestling ability. He is a hard opponent to game plan for and really his only weakness may be his confidence in his hands. He is next in line to try to figure out the Jones puzzle and reclaim his spot on top of the division.

      3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8): Rampage has been a hard guy to figure out over the last few years. He seems to be suffering slightly from the evolution of MMA into more of a wrestling style. His grappling skills cost him a decision to Evans and were still lacking in his win over Machida. Jackson still has arguably the most powerful hands in the division and his aggressive nature makes him difficult for anyone. Rampage takes on another wrestler next in Matt Hamill at UFC 130, and a win could put him in line for a title shot.

      4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5): Despite being the guy that dethroned Machida, I still haven’t seen anything real special from Rua in his time at the UFC. He has certainly not been the guy that fought his way to the PRIDE championship. Rua has really struggled with his conditioning in the octagon, and that was a big problem in his loss to Jones. Rua’s edge on Machida may be more about fighting style than talent.

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      Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC

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