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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson gets back to action at UFC 130 this month for the 40th fight of his professional career when he takes on Matt Hamill. The former Champion is inching closer to his first shot at regaining the UFC Light Heavyweight Title since losing it in 2008, but if you listen to Jackson speak, it's clear his days in the sport are numbered.
"Honestly, I've been known for keeping it real and I have to keep it real, as soon as movies start paying me more than I make to fight, I'm gone," Jackson said in an interview with FiveKnuckles.com. "It don't hurt to make movies. It don't hurt that bad. Everyday I train. Everyday I'm like, 'Man, I can't wait until I get another big movie.'"
Jackson has left the UFC high and dry before for his acting career, taking a role in the A-Team film during the fall and winter of 2009 that delayed his anticipated fight with Rashad Evans. And for Jackson, acting is where his future lies. He's made it clear many times in the past that he fights for the money, and he doesn't have the passion for the sport that many of its other top competitors have.
"Hell yeah, you can't fight forever," Jackson continued. "I don't have the type of blood Randy Couture has. I give it up to him. I take my [hat] off to that guy, but I'm not that guy. I don't plan on fighting until I'm 40. And I'm not Chuck Liddell. I'm not coming to work inside the UFC office when I retire. That's not me. I'm an entertainer, I like making people laugh. I like doing movies, action moves and stuff like that. I might even try to be a comedian one day, who knows?"
Though he's coming close to getting another title shot, it's not something that concerns him at this point in his career. For Jackson, he just wants to entertain, and that's all he's going to do with whatever time he has left in the sport.
"I wanna keep going after I get done fighting," Jackson said. "Some fans are kinda selfish, they don't understand I got four kids that gotta be put through college and everything. MMA don't have an MMA pension. They don't pay you once you retire. I got bills, I gotta keep going."
"I'm just here to fight people. I'm here to just make you laugh and give you exciting fights. I'm not cocky like these other guys. I'm not a big arrogant fighter and stuff like that."
Penick's Analysis: The sentiments not surprising from Jackson at all. He's never been the most committed to the fighting craft. He had natural gifts and talent that has brought him to this level in his career, but he's not been the best version of himself for some time. He may or may not ever fight for a title in the UFC again, but I think it won't be a hard decision for him to walk away from fighting for good when he's got another option at his disposal.
[Quinton "Rampage" Jackson art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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