In a video to promote his new website, Rampage-Jackson.com., the charismatic former UFC champion assures fans and “haters” alike, that he’s not scared “of nobody.” (After also acknowledging that the old Rampage official site “wasn’t too hot.”) In fact, in a not so subtle referral to newly crowned light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Jackson states that those who believe he is not willing to fight a “karate guy” are mistaken, but rather, he has to take “care of some business” with Rashad Evans first. (Machida is indeed a karate guy, so why doesn’t he do the ‘hiyas’ in the Octagon? Or how come he doesn’t celebrate each win by doing 100 knuckle push-ups?)
Jackson recently turned down an opportunity to fight Machida in the fall so that he could be a coach on the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and more importantly, so that he could fight his new nemesis, Rashad Evans. (Only the hatred between Annie Duke and Joan Rivers burns brighter these days…) Jackson apparently also feels like he could use some more camera time, as “you have to do TUF” when you’re asked.
Here’s hoping that his loathing for Evans makes for more classic Rampage zingers then occurred when he and Forrest Griffin were coaches on TUF 7. Aside from one or two incidents, the coaches got a long so great, you were more likely to hear a disparaging remark on “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” with Wayne Brady. (Actually, according to a very unreliable source, Matt Hughes, Dana White and Cheick Kongo are all scheduled to appear on a UFC edition of the program…cross your fingers..or maybe don’t)
