Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson became an unlikely talking point during UFC Vegas 109.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion’s most famous knockout was replicated on Saturday night.
22-year-old Elijah Smith KO’d his opponent with a slam to improve to 9-1 as an MMA fighter.
The bantamweight even shouted out Rampage Jackson, who scored the most famous powerbomb KO of all time.
Rampage Jackson reacts to UFC Vegas 109 KO
In June 2004, Quinton Jackson squared off against submission specialist Ricardo Arona at PRIDE Critical Countdown.
Past the 7-minute mark, Arona made the grave mistake of trying to lock up a triangle from his back.
Jackson’s answer to the submission threat was to use pure power to lift his opponent high into the air before driving him back down to the mat with devastating impact.
Arona was instantly out cold after his head crashed into the canvas. Joe Rogan later claimed with that MMA legend’s iconic slam KO ‘may be the hardest anybody’s ever been hit’.
More than two decades later, no one had managed to score a powerbomb KO quite like Jackson’s until UFC Vegas 109.
The UFC icon was quick to give credit where it was due after seeing Smith’s violent win over Toshiomi Kazama.
“Yooooo @shakurdabag02 got that wolf in him too,” Jackson wrote on Instagram alongside a video showing both of their slam KO’s.
Toshiomi Kazama health update
Kazama was unconscious for several minutes after suffering one of the most violent KO’s in UFC history.
Fans criticized the referee for allowing him to take two more punches after being put to sleep by the slam.
After regaining consciousness, Kazama was transported to a local hospital to be checked over.
The UFC Vegas 109 broadcast was subsequently interrupted with an update on his medical condition.
Backstage reporter Karyn Bryant revealed that all of Kazama’s CT scans came back negative, allowing him to head home from the hospital.