Former UFC champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson holds one victory above the rest when reflecting on his storied fighting career.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s impact on MMA is undeniable, dating back to his tenure in Pride and clashes with some of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history. He was a destructive force during his physical prime as he pulled off some of the wildest finishes in combat sports.
Jackson squared off with a slew of legends during his career, including current UFC titleholder Jon Jones and heavyweight dynamo Fedor Emelianenko. He earned multiple titles during his career after coming from a rough upbringing in Memphis.
While Jackson’s move to the UFC came later in his career, he didn’t waste much time making a splash in the Octagon. UFC 92 stands alone as Jackson’s favorite memory of competing in the cage.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson reveals the most glorifying moment of his career
During a recent interview with Matt Serra, Jackson pointed to knocking out one of his longtime rivals as the fighting highlight he’ll remember forever.
“My proudest moment is when I finally knocked out Wanderlei [Silva] in the UFC,” Jackson said. “Because I always thought I could beat him, but I just had the wrong sparring partners back then. The guys I was sparring, they were good fighters, but they weren’t standup guys…the team I was on at the time; most of my teammates were smaller guys so I just didn’t have the best sparring partners or best preparation for the [earlier] fights.”
Jackson knocked out Wanderlei Silva with one punch in the first round at UFC 92, one of the most infamous knockouts in the history of the light heavyweight division. It was sweet revenge for ‘Rampage’ after suffering two knockout losses to Silva during their stints in Pride.
Jackson and Silva went on to clash one more time in their careers at Bellator 206 in 2018 with Jackson earning a second-round TKO win. Both fighters retired from MMA shortly after evening their rivalry at two wins apiece.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva rivalry took place over three promotions
Silva entered the UFC Hall of Fame last year after a long wait for induction. He defeated the likes of Michael Bisping, Keith Jardine, and Brian Stann during his UFC tenure.
Jackson is inching closer to a potential combat sports return in boxing against another former rival. He was linked to a boxing match with legendary combatant Shannon Briggs in recent years, but the fight never came to fruition after alleged strained negotiations.
The Jackson vs. Silva rivalry was one of the early feuds in MMA history and one of the sport’s most important. Years later, while tensions are no longer present, Jackson is immensely proud of getting his long-awaited revenge.