Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is one of the most colorful personalities in the entire sporting world, his combination of an easy-going hilarious persona coupled with world-class fighting abilities and bone-crunching slams made him a hit since his days in Pride Fighting Championships.
Now in his thirteenth year as a professional mixed martial artist and a hall-of-fame caliber career behind him he is hinting at leaving the biggest MMA organization.
It began with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion comparing the money in his pocket compared to his counterparts in boxing
But he wasn’t done yet, claiming that he would like to get released from the UFC to go on to bigger and better things.
He finally stated that he is able to make more money elsewhere.
This is not the first time Jackson has had a public tiff with the UFC — After serving as the opposing coach to Rashad Evans on the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter he chose to play the part of Mr.T in the movie The A-Team.
Jackson and Evans had been throwing verbal fisticuffs for a long time and when Jackson chose his movie debut over their fight it delayed the heated grudge-match for another year.
Jackson and UFC figurehead Dana White were questioned from all ends about their falling out after Jackson reportedly retired only to return less than three months later.
The long-time light-heavyweight standout eluded to a career in boxing on his twitter account and the amount of money being made in the rival combat sport.
Former Strikeforce welterweight kingpin Nick Diaz has also expressed interest in moving to the boxing field to make some of the big money but boxing being a hotbed for money in 2012 is one of the biggest misconcetions around.
For every rich boxer who lights cigars with hundred-dollar bills there are hundreds of beaten down and broken boxers who are fighting for crumbs.
With the celebrity that Jackson brings to the table he would be able to make a comfortable salary punching some mediocre fighters in the face but anyone in the upper echelon will have him for dinner.
Plus, if he stays outside of the UFC in the MMA world there is no money to be made — Japan has one major organization who are in financial peril and there isn’t another organization willing to throw Jackson the kind of dollars he wants to fight.
In this guys opinion, you better take what you can get from the UFC “Rampage” or chase those movie roles.
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