Quinton Jackson is done with MMA.
The former UFC and Pride FC champion is looking to jump in the sport of boxing and striking disciplines, as he’s grown tired of competing in the cage. Jackson (38-14 MMA) has been competing in MMA since 1999 and has logged over 50 professional MMA fights.
“Rampage” is ready to change things up in his career and try something outside of MMA.
“This is the thing that people don’t understand about me, I’ve been fighting MMA for so long and I’ve been fighting the best people in the sport,” Jackson told reporters during Triller’s Triad Combat press conference on Monday. “I win some and I lose some, but that thrill is not there anymore in MMA like when I started.”
Jackson hopes to get a fight against former boxing champion Shannon Briggs under the Triller banner, whether it’s in boxing or Triad combat – a new striking sport that matches up boxers vs. MMA fighters.
“Me stepping into a boxing ring with someone of the caliber of Shannon, I’ll have that rush,” Rampage said. “In the training camp, I’ll get that rush. If I don’t get this right, I can get knocked out – and that’s what I need. That’s what made me so successful in MMA and I lost that over the years by fighting everybody and doing that.
“I accept the challenge. I think Shannon would be a real tough boxing match. If I’m going to be 100 percent honest, I didn’t imagine fighting him in Triad Combat. I never imagined fighting him in anything like that. I imagined my first boxing match in a boxing ring with boxing gloves. But I’m prepared for any challenge that comes my way.”
Jackson and Briggs have been beefing on social media for some time. The two are constantly trading shots and making fun of each other. Jackson said it all started after his TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko in December 2019, which was his final fight under the Bellator banner.
“Shannon is really disrespectful,” Jackson said. “I’m going to keep it real. It’s embarrassing for me that I lost my last fight the way I did and Shannon was very disrespectful. Before I can even get to the locker room, I got a text on my phone saying, ‘I’ll fight you, I’ll fight you in boxing.’
“Then he goes on to post memes and put my face on ridiculous things. Shannon is real disrespectful and I’m going to shut him up. I’ll let him do all his talking and his laughing. Shannon started this whole feud and called me out at the worst time.”
‘Rampage’ Jackson targets switch to boxing: ‘That thrill is not there anymore in MMA’
