TOKYO – Quinton Jackson has a message for those criticizing his next fight.
Jackson (38-13 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) will close out the decade when he faces Fedor Emelianenko (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the Bellator 237 main event at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday night (Sunday locally).
Both have competed under the PRIDE banner in the past, but never crossed paths, and despite being in the latter years of their careers, “Rampage” guarantees that the fans are in for a show.
“This is a special moment in MMA history no matter what the naysayers say,” Jackson told MMA Junkie at media day a promoting the event. “The guys who are never going to do anything in their lives, the never-has-beens who want to say about two old guys getting in there – the true MMA fans are going to win because there’s not going to be a loser. There’s not going to be a loser. No matter who gets their hand raised, there’s not going to be a loser because when two legends get in there, and do what they love, and put on a show, the fans win.”
Emelianenko, who is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, was one of Jackson’s heroes growing up in the business. Despite having a large amount of respect for the Russian legend, “Rampage” said he knows that once the cage door closes, it’s all business.
“It’s been kind of hard for me to mentally prepare and get ready for this fight because you guys know how I like to knock people out, my team’s like, ‘Oh, you got to knock him out, you got to knock him out,’ and me being a big fan of Fedor, I’m thinking that’s the last thing he needs is to get knocked out right away and stuff like that, but none of that matters because when I get in that cage, ‘Rampage’ don’t have no friends. I don’t even like that mother (expletive). Nobody likes ‘Rampage,’ ‘Rampage’ don’t like nobody, so it don’t matter.”
The former UFC 205-pound champ has competed numerous times at heavyweight now but admits that Emelianenko may actually be the only opponent he’s seen to date that truly embodies that weight class.
“This is a good matchup because Fedor is the first true heavyweight that I’m ever going to face in my opinion,” Jackson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever faced a true heavyweight. I’m been fighting little-bitty guys who are faster than me and can out-wrestle me and all this and out-gameplan me, but Fedor is a true heavyweight, and I think it’s going to be a good test for me. I think he has speed, he has power and he’s not shy, and he’s good on the ground. He’s a very, very dangerous opponent, and I meet this challenge head on. I think that I do some things very well that makes this a good matchup for me against Fedor.”
Bellator 237 airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN. To hear much more from Jackson, check out the video above.
'Rampage' Jackson: Fedor fight 'special moment in MMA history no matter what the naysayers say'
