Episode 44 of The Mike O’Hearn Show was published on Generation Iron‘s YouTube channel on May 5, 2023. O’Hearn was joined by mixed martial artist (MMA) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, whose pro record is 38-14, with 20 wins coming by way of knockout across the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions.
Jackson proclaimed that he had aspirations of becoming a pro wrestler in his youth, but instead of entering the squared circle as his profession, he ended up throwing hands in the octagon. That was, by Jackson’s own admission, a “mistake” that resulted from helping his high school friend train for a fight. Check out the interview in the video below, wherein Jackson talks further about his entry into MMA and the highlights of his pro career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWUQ0b3rvII&ab_channel=GenerationIronFitness%26BodybuildingNetwork
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Jackson’s first pro fight was against Mike Pyle in 1999 at age 21. He won that fight by unanimous decision but considered it a wake-up call as Jackson was essentially a street fighter without any technique.
It opened up my whole mind — [there’s] a sport out here that’s tailor-made for me.
Jackson’s youth in south Memphis, TN, was filled with fighting back against bullies. The inclination to fight came naturally to him. He grew to “love fighting,” and if someone were to pick a fight, Jackson was happy to jump in.
Due to all the facets required to be a professional fighter, Jackson had a tendency to overtrain, as there was the need to spar, practice wrestling and grappling, and perform cardio to make weight, among other training protocols. In combination with the physicality of the sport, Jackson rarely entered a contest 100 percent injury-free.
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One of the few times Jackson felt in his best condition was when he fought Jon Jones on Sept. 24, 2011. Jones won that bout by submission in the fourth round.
Jon Jones was the best fighter I ever fought…but when I fought him, he fought like a coward. He fights really dirty.
That fight was eight years after Jackson adopted a nutrition plan for the first time in his pro career. It wasn’t until his prep for his fight against Kevin Randleman in 2003, which Jackson won via round-one knockout, that Jackson catered to his diet. Be sure to watch the entire interview between Jackson and O’Hearn to hear about how Jackson approached his last three fights in Bellator.