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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
It's no secret that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans don't get along. Just go back and watch season ten of the Ultimate Fighter to see the two in each other's face at least once an episode. But while some feuds in the MMA world seem less than authentic, the growing war of words between the two former Champions has picked up where it left off last year and is in full gear heading into their UFC 114 bout on May 29 in Las Vegas.
"This is a sport, but don't fool yourself this is the fight game," UFC President Dana White said during a media call promoting the UFC 114 event. "For me the WWE stuff is the guys out there hyping it up to make it look that way, but this is the real thing. These guys genuinely want to fight each other.
"I think they both respect each other in ways but they don't like each other… When this fight's over, they might squash it. When this fight's over they might still hate each other. You never know until it's over... I think these guys have eclipsed any grudge match we've ever had… They're definitely not acting."
For his part, Rampage was quick to continue the rhetoric he's been directing towards the fight, believing it's a fight he shouldn't have to take.
"[When I win this fight] it will be a moral victory," said Rampage. "Rashad has no title, he couldn't even hold onto the belt for one fight. Why am I fighting this guy… who is this guy? He hasn't even done anything on my level."
"I see it as a step down."
Rashad was quick to jump in to the conversation himself, beginning the first of many shouting matches the two would get into during the duration of the call.
"Who am I? Motherf****** who is he to fight me?" asked Evans. "I beat Forrest [Griffin], he didn't even beat Forrest."
Rampage continues to blame his loss to Griffin on poor training heading into that fight, saying he didn't take the fight seriously, and he let his feeling be known on the call.
"Forrest ain't nobody, I didn't train for Forrest, I trained for your ass," Rampage said. "I'm so fired up and so motivated... You guys are going to see a brand new Rampage."
"I'm not underestimating Rashad at all. He's got fast punches and he's got pretty good takedowns. This is going to be a really good fight and a really good test for me. I don't underestimate anyone anymore. I underestimated Forrest and didn't train properly for that fight... For this fight I trained harder than for any other fight. I pushed myself to the limit."
White acknowledged the blow struck by this fight not happening in December as it was originally planned due to Jackson taking a part in the upcoming A-Team movie, but in the end said it ended up all right.
"It all did work out ok," White said. "Listen, I'm in the fight business, this is what we do. Especially coming out of that season of TUF and all the animosity it was a big blow [to not have the fight take place in December]. But it worked out, and from what I'm hearing Quinton did a great job [on the A-Team movie] and it's a big movie coming out this summer."
Ribbing Jackson a bit for his comments recently about the way the UFC keeps most of the money that he feels is brought about because of the fighters, White said "I want a piece of his second film." He then laughed it off and said he was kidding.
Rashad and Rampage were both in a heated mood during the call, though both continued to sling insults at the other.
"I don't like the way he talk to me," said Rampage. "He's real fake and real cocky. He's somebody that hasn't done anything in this sport... Who talks that much [after] they get knocked out?"
Rashad didn't want to hear it, sending back his take on the difference between the two of them. "'I've got heart," said Rashad. "At least I won't quit like you did against Shogun... You've got no heart, you're the f****** tin man."
As for the motivations behind their dislike for one another, Evans pointed to Rampage's entire persona.
"Motherf***** stop acting like because you're black you're stupid," he said. "I hate that attitude."
The turn for Rampage came after his UFC 96 fight with Keith Jardine, in which Evans entered the cage afterward and got into his face, leading to him shouting out his "there's going to be some black on black crime" to close out the show.
"Everything was cool until he got into my face after the Jardine fight," he said. "Then I watched the pay-per-view and I hear him talking bad about me during the entire fight, and that's when I really started to hate him."
"This is the first fight I'm really looking forward to beating the hell out of someone."
UFC 114 will finally bring this feud to a head, and the two will finally face off in the main event in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 29.
Penick's Analysis: This was an epic conference call, with both fighters heatedly talking over the other, making it hard for many questions to get in. The entertaining back and forth just cemented how much these guys don't like each other. There's a true dislike behind their banter, and it makes the anticipation for this grudge match all the more palpable. This fight is going to be one of the biggest drawing fights of the year for the UFC, and it's because of this back and forth. The UFC Primetime series, continuing tomorrow night, is going to keep this heat boiling over until they step into the cage at the end of the month.
RELATED STORY: UFC QUOTABLES: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson says he wanted to do TUF against Machida; Machida's lack of English speaking made it not come to pass: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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