A Fan's Perspective: Rampage Jackson's Performance

I'm doing this as a fanpost because UFC 114 has been discussed to death.  Sorry I couldn't add in earlier but I had family in for all the weekend and very little internet time.  So, as the dust has settled many fans were underwhelmed by the latest UFC card and most importantly the massively hyped main event.  Me, myself, I was as well.  However, thinking back on the fight, the hype, the trash-talk and factoring in everything...most set their expectations too high.  These guys are professional fighters and not street brawlers.  Had this been a Yamma Pit event, I'd feel a bit cheated but seeing as how this was on the biggest stage in MMA, it was a great thing to witness. 

With that said, I did everything to defend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson coming into this fight as I am a big time fan.  I didn't believe ring rust would be a huge issue as he's gone five rounds quite a few times in the last couple of years and never skipped a beat.  I also felt that the physically stronger Rampage would have no problems if the fight had long periods in the clinch, as I figured he was the better fighter in the clinch.  I also expected them to have one spurt reminiscent of the Korean Zombie/Leonard Garcia sometime during the fight and Rampage would be able to land something significant enough to get the win.  Through all that, I had to sit through a very different Rampage Jackson on Saturday night.  Now before I get into the things I saw wrong in Rampage's tactics, big time kudos to Rashad Evans.  I'm still not a fan of his but I am a believer that he is a big time player in the UFC light heavyweight division and will be for some time.  He used the perfect gameplan to throw off his opponent and stayed busy enough to not send this into the realm of a Randy Couture bout.  This brings me to my biggest gripe with Quinton Jackson...his camp!

Don't get me wrong, I do not harbor the disdain for Wolfslair that many fans across the web do, however, the fight camp is less beneficial and more detrimental to Rampage's career.  Although Rampage has fought basically the same style since entering the Octagon, it seemed Juanito Ibarra had the unusual ability to tame the beast that is Jackson.  He was able to map out gameplans that usually worked and when in trouble (Forrest fight) was able to motivate his fighter enough to weather adversity and almost pull off the victory.  It is that teacher/student relationship that is horribly missing in Quinton's fights these days.  Dissecting Saturday's fight, you would have thought that his coaches and trainers would have more than one strategy for the former champ especially when facing a fighter with the versatility that Rashad Evans exhibits.  Once they realized Rashad wasn't going to just simply rush at Rampage with sloppy strikes and double legs, their first words in his corner should have been 'attack'...especially going into round 2.  Unfortunately it seems that Rampage is content to stay with his crew over the pond for now.  Maybe, just maybe they'll realize their mistakes and right their wrongs in the near future and really get the potential out of their fighter.

My second gripe...Rampage himself.  Not even bringing up his weight issues coming into camp, his new found love for counterstriking is making him an easier and easier target.  Forrest Griffin mapped out that scenario, but in recent fights with Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine it seemed that he had found spurts of his former more aggressive self during those bouts.  On Saturday, he decided to play counterstriker with a wide defensive base?!  I'm far, far, far from an expert and probably not even a novice when it comes to knowing anything about boxing or any striking discipline but common sense would tell me that having your lead leg and back leg that far apart and attempting to power shot a guy that is quicker doesn't make the most sense.  It made him look slower than he actually is as he was having to pull power from his hips and legs too far out which gave Rashad ample time to stay clear of anything dangerous.  Also, seeing him in such a wide standing base, you had a feeling he respected Rashad's wrestling ability almost too much since it stifled his own offense...basically allowing Rashad to do whatever he wanted and Rampage just waiting for Rashad to do just that.  Thing is, when Rampage actually decided 'hey I can go after him!' he was literally one or two clean punches away from having his arm raised (kudos again to Rashad for not only surviving but coming back and putting Rampage down).  It was the most hesitant Rampage I think I've ever seen in any fight.  No I haven't seen every one of them but I've seen a good amount of them and he's never been the one simply waiting for his opponent to throw. All wasn't bad though, Rashad gets a lot of credit for his wrestling in the bout but Rampage should get a smidgen of credit for his takedown defense.  While Rashad pressed the action, he still only completed three takedowns, two of which I do believe came in the closing moments and Rampage was basically spent and surprisingly Rashad still fresh (guess we can't say he gasses when he wrestles anymore).

My last gripe...Rampage's true motivation.  It's one thing to be motivated to fight.  It's another thing to be motivated to train.  However, it's a big thing to be motivated to strategize.  I can guarantee you Rashad had mapped out several strategies on how to beat Rampage, guarantee it.  While I doubt Rampage even thought of anything other than beheading him.  Sure, he could and almost did...however, getting to the place to capture that knockout needed to be created.  I can never question a fighter's heart seeing as how they're man enough to step in the cage and actually do what they do, so I don't question Jackson's heart.  What I do question is his true motivation throughout this buildup.  Was it simply to get into fighting shape?  Was it to knock Rashad out?  Or was it to win the fight?  I think this is where Rashad's psychological games really proved to be the most effective.  In all the interviews Rampage's main goal was to 'destroy Rashad'.  However, Rashad's biggest motivation was simply to win.  He didn't care if he didn't knock Rampage out from listening to him talk, he didn't care about 'destroying Rampage', he simply wanted to beat him to make him eat crow.  He did exactly that and now Rampage looks more of the fool for not being able to 'destroy' his opponent while Rashad made good on his promises.  We all know Rampage isn't the most cerebral of fighters, but you have to think with the right group of guys around him, he could have easily pulled it all together and been successful Saturday.  With talks of Rampage's next opponent being Lyoto Machida, he had better get his mind and skills right or he'll be in for a complete embarassment.

Does this mean I concede that Rashad is the better fight?  On Saturday (well actually Sunday morning on the East Coast) May 29th, he was with no doubts about it.  Do I think if they met again the outcome would be the same?  Nope, I still think a more aggressive Rampage would have stopped Rashad in his tracks, had Rampage stalked Rashad like he did in the third to the point his back was so close to the cage he couldn't flee, he could have continuous success in the striking department.  It's all about whether Rampage can get the guidance and the true motivation to do so.  In the end, I had to watch my favorite fighter, who had promised black-on-black violence, seem more like Carlton Banks on a wrong backstreat.

UFC 114 Tidbits

- Was it me or did Diego seem kind of slow?  John Hathaway is a beast though, lanky and lethal!

- Jason Brilz got robbed...no more to say about it.

- Did Mike Russow smell some hot wings Dana had cageside and simply knock Todd Duffee out to get a peek?  That was one of the craziest come from behind wins ever and they guy has to be in the pound 4 pound chins discussion.

- So we got a bad boxing match between Michael Bisping and Dan Miller...woohoo

All in all I thought it was a good show, the prelims weren't too exciting but man Dong Hyun Kim is going to be that dude at welterweight, mark my words.

and I'm out!