Quinton Jackson’s UFC return was on, then off, then on again, and in his UFC 186 co-main event vs. Fabio Maldonado (contested at a 215 lbs catchweight), he was able to get the win. Rampage utilized an array of kicks and knees from the clinch that fans previously weren’t accustomed to seeing, in addition to his preferred boxing attack.
Maldonado, to his credit, adjusted in the 2nd round and tried wearing Rampage down with fighting against the cage and dirty boxing in the clinch. He spammed short left hooks but lacked the power to trouble Jackson. In an unexpected twist, Maldonado took Rampage down late in the round but ultimately it wouldn’t factor in the judges’ scorecards. Round 3 was a Rampage round as his own series of body shots appeared to wear Maldonado down, as the Brazilian’s output decreased and Jackson’s combinations were largely on point. Fabio spent plenty of time slapping his own head or no-selling strikes Rampage landed, which surprisingly isn’t effective offense.
Official result: Quinton Jackson def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (30-37, 30-27, 29-28)
Rampage (36-11) has won 4 in a row since losing to Glover Teixeira in January 2013. Maldonado (22-8) drops his first fight at light heavyweight since … well … losing to Glover Teixeira in October 2012.
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