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| Posted: 12 Jun 2008 08:07 AM CDT
With the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7, which he was a coach alongside Forrest Griffin, he is now hunkering down in Big Bear, Calif., to prepare for his monster upcoming title defense at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” on July 5. It’s time for comical champion to get serious. And that means, according to his manager and trainer, Juanito Ibarra, that he needs to be free of any distractions sans a select few planned appearances and official commitments for the UFC in the coming weeks. While MMAmania.com was unsuccessful in getting Rampage Jackson on the phone because of this very reason, Ibarra was willing to take time out of the camp he has prepared for the light heavyweight champion of the world to chat with us about all things Rampage Jackson. From how the camp is coming along to how Rampage liked coaching the up-and-coming TUF Middleweights to where Ibarra sees Rampage in the next few years, we covered it all. And although I think I might have annoyed Ibarra with one of my questions that calls Rampage’s coaching success rate into question, you can’t argue with the man’s record — or the record of his champion prize fighters. A former boxing trainer for Oscar de la Hoya — who, by the way, has generated more money than any other boxer in history — Ibarra has helped Rampage build up his own empire, which now includes an energy drink, ringtones, rims and more. In addition to being undefeated (6-0) since bringing Ibarra on board, Rampage also holds both the UFC light heavyweight championship strap and the PRIDE FC light heavyweight belt. Not too shabby. We chatted with the man behind the man. Here’s what he had to say: Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Rampage is set to fight Forrest Griffin at UFC 86 on July 5 in Las Vegas. There’s been a lot of hype building for this fight, especially with The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 Finale premiering next Saturday. What was Rampage’s take on being a coach for the show? Would he prefer to stick with fighting or did he enjoy his experience there? Juanito Ibarra: From what I understand, he thinks it was a good experience from our discussions. He don’t envy the coaches, you know. He’d rather be fighting than coaching, from what I gather. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The fighters Rampage coached didn’t seem to perform very well on the show. What was the problem there? Was it because Rampage is a better fighter than he is a coach, or did he just pick lousy fighters? It’s not that it’s bad or good, but if you look at history in the fight game … you know, I have a saying, “Those who can’t … teach.” So in other words, those who can’t perform in the ring or the cage usually become good teachers or trainers. In Rampage’s instance, the guy’s one hell of a fighter — he’s the undisputed champion of the world — and maybe he’s not a teacher, I don’t know. That was his first time ever trying it. He never thought he’d be in that position to even want to do it. So, it was a different transition for him and me — as his trainer and his manager — to listen to him instead of him listening to me. And so it was a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but us coaches were there for him to do what he asked us to do, and it is what it is. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Taping for the show obviously prolongs title shots. Has this affected Rampage any? Did he use the opportunity to heal up old injuries and to market himself, or would he prefer to fight more frequently … say, every three or four months? Juanito Ibarra: Well if you look at Rampage’s history, if you know anything about him, the first part of his career the guy was fighting … I think he fought like eight times a year. Look what his record is. I don’t even know if you know how many fights he has. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yeah, I do. Juanito Ibarra: If you did your homework then he’s fought quite frequently. Fighters can’t fight like that all their lives — six times a year — especially when guys are getting better. We needed to heal some old injuries. I needed to market him more. I needed to get some endorsements and to fulfill the vision that I have for him as his manager — not only his trainer, but as his manager — to really exploit him out there in a good way. Unfortunately, it was a little longer than we anticipated because of the show, but we committed to the UFC that we’d do it, and we wanted to stay honorable to it. Things like that can hurt a fighter or it can help a fighter. In this case, I really think that it’s going to help Rampage, the long layoff. You know, he won two world titles. He’s the undisputed champion. He won it in seven months, right? Seven frickin’ months he won it. So he needed a little rest, he needs to heal. And now we’re ready to go back to war. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Absolutely, I wasn’t trying to imply that he needed the time off, or anything like that. I was just saying that a criticism of TUF from a fan perspective is that they want to see more title shots more frequently. Juanito Ibarra: Well, you know, the fans … it shouldn’t have to be a title shot that they want to see. They should just want to see a good fight. And Rampage always puts on a good fight, whether he’s a champion or not. I believe he’s going to stay champion for a long time. As long as he’s in great shape, it’s going to be hard to beat him. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Absolutely. Juanito Ibarra: Yeah, and we want to give the fans more of Rampage, and we hope the UFC complies with us in working with us to get that done. So I truly believe that Rampage’s year is next year, in 2009. I told him that on New Year’s Eve coming into 2008. I said, “Son, I’m tellin’ ya, 2009 is going to be a huge, huge, huge year for you.” And I truly believe that. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many more fights does Rampage have on his current contract? Juanito Ibarra: I don’t want to get into money or contracts. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Okay, that’s fine. Forrest is a big guy, I think he’s 6′3″ and probably walks around at 235. Juanito Ibarra: He walks around at about 245 to be honest. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): 245, okay. Does this impact at all how you and Rampage have been preparing for this fight? Juanito Ibarra: Rampage is always prepared, because that’s my way. I train athletes to do things backwards, forwards, sideways, 45 degree angles … And we always spar and have camps with guys of all sizes — from speed to shortness to thickness to tallness. Guys like Cheick Kongo in camp. You know, Cheick Kongo’s a monster. I brought in … I think I added it up to almost 25 guys in and out of camp with Rampage, getting their butts whooped. I pay my guys, so it’s hard for guys that come into camp to say, “I’m leaving ’cause I’m getting my butt whooped” when they’re getting paid, right? We’re getting ready, just like any other fight. We don’t take Forrest lightly. He’s a big guy. He has a lot of tenacity. He comes to fight 1,000 percent of the time, and we’re going to do our best to be prepared for that, like always. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Since Rampage began training with you, he’s 6-0, I believe, is that correct? Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Can you give us a brief run through of the type of training camp you’ve put together for this fight? Juanito Ibarra: Well, it’s just like any other camp, I mean, I have a lock down kind of policy, whether he likes it or not. It’s about focusing, it’s about getting in shape at altitude, it’s about shutting out the world, and it’s hard. It takes you through a lot of mental stress, but you have to overcome them things to make you stronger and tougher and more focused. Like I said, we’re concentrating on every aspect of the game for this fight, like we have other fights. I really haven’t changed much … I’m a study freak, I’m a technical freak, so … you know, that’s what we’ve done. We have a gameplan, and we’re going to be victorious. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I don’t know the odds, but I’m sure Rampage is a heavy favorite for this fight. How do you see the fight going? Do you see it being a quick stoppage or a drawn out slugfest? Juanito Ibarra: I don’t get into betting and odds, ’cause I could care less. Every fight’s a different fight. The underdog guys are the guys that, if you really don’t prepare for them, they are the guys that are the most dangerous. Forrest Griffin is just as dangerous as any other light heavyweight out there. We don’t expect nothing but a win. We don’t think about defending the belt, we just think about winning the fight in a great fashion. If it comes early, God bless it, that’s what we’ve trained for — early stoppages and ways to win fights. And then on the other hand, we’re prepared to go five rounds if the momentum and tempo’s not like that. You gotta remember that to have a fight, two guys gotta fight. Look at the Tito Ortiz and Machida fight. It was a matador and bull kind of fight. This fight might be a matador and bull kind of fight. You gotta know how to cut off the ring to get to the matador; and the matador has to be able to stab the bull to get the bull down, right? I can probably bet 99.9 percent that this is going to be a strategic fight, especially in Forrest’s mind. I don’t think he wants to trade with Rampage. He may, he gets a little crazy, he likes to trade when he’s in the heat of it. He may do that, but we’re prepared either way. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think Forrest Griffin has a chin strong enough to stand and bang with Rampage? Juanito Ibarra: No. Not too many guys do. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yeah, that’s for certain. I know that Rampage isn’t looking past Forrest by any means, but what’s next in line for him— Juanito Ibarra: No buts. No buts. We’re not looking past Forrest. I always have a plan. As a business manager, his manager and as his trainer, I always have a plan. As a matter of fact, I have an A, B, C, D plan in anything I do. In the fight game, in the ring, in the cage, outside of it … So there are plans out there, but that’s it. It’s planning it. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. But I think 2009 is going to be an unbelievable year for Rampage, and I think he’s going to end this year with a bang. I really do. He hasn’t fought, he’s hungry, he’s very ornery and nasty. That means I’m doing my job. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Would he prefer a rematch with Shogun Rua or Wanderlei Silva? Juanito Ibarra: Of course, that’s always in our future. Them guys are two great warriors. He was unfortunately beaten in them fights for whatever reasons — who cares? I always say, “Yesterday’s a canceled check, today’s cash in hand, tomorrow’s a promissory note.” And it’s on my mind, it’s always been on my mind. I respect both them athletes. I respect them as athletes, fighters, as people. They are very polite to me. I’m very polite to them. I just think that Rampage Jackson is a way better fighter, and I think we’re under different circumstances, to say the least. If them kids are healthy, and Rampage is champion, like I expect him to be, of course we’d like them fights in the future, of course. But you gotta remember, them guys gotta show a winning style as well. They can’t just fight on pure names. They gotta show that they’re doing good. We want to beat the best that there are, just like anybody else. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How’s the Rampage empire growing? Juanito Ibarra: It’s growing, man. It’s been almost … man, it’s going on three and a half years, I think. I’ve been working my tail off six days a week. You know I have my team behind me — guys who have made me successful. It’s a small team, but I believe a powerful team. The empire is growing, believe me. We don’t talk about it a lot, we don’t wear it on our shorts like everybody wants us to and everybody does to show what we’re about. We just try to stay humble and believe in God and keep growing day by day. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Hey I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. I know that Rampage has a lot of fans who frequent the site. Would you like to thank any sponsors, or do you have any parting words for all those Rampage fans out there? Juanito Ibarra: I know Rampage loves his fans to death. Just to let everybody know that he’s working his butt off to stay champion, and he thanks all the fans for the support. His new Web site will be up: AllRampage.com. Look it up. That’s where his new ringtones are going to be for sale, and his energy drink, and his tennis shoes, and his rims, and he’s growing. We really love the support from all the fans around the world. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Thales Leites not interested in Nate Marquardt rematch Posted: 12 Jun 2008 08:03 AM CDT
– Thales Leites tells TopGunMMA.com that he has no real interest in a rematch with Nate Marquardt after their first encounter at UFC 85: “Bedlam” on June 7. Leites won the bout via split decision; however, Marquardt had two points deducted for fouls in the three round bout and in the waning seconds of the bout he used a pile driver-type maneuver, which is illegal but was not penalized. With the win Leites takes a considerable step up the 185-pound title contender ladder. |
| The Ultimate Fighter 7: Episode 11 recap and discussion Posted: 11 Jun 2008 08:34 PM CDT
And here I thought a mini-bar was a bangin’ upgrade. Rampage shakes his head in disgust and admits to having a jumpshot like Billy Barty. He then feels even worse after Dana starts dropping the numbers: Winner gets ten grand and the contestants he coaches get a grand apiece. Dana offers Rampage a chance to double the purse by landing a 3-pointer and to Dana’s dismay he drains it. Perhaps a little bit of hustling on Jackson’s part? Then we see him warm up and realize no, he just got lucky. So not only does an incredibly accurate Forrest take him to the boards, he ends it with a dunk. Ouch. Afterwards we find Jesse Taylor in the chrysalis stage as he begins his transformation into alter-ego “JT Money”. He even has a dollar sign (well, half of it anyway) shaved into the back of his head and references a flock of seagulls. I wasn’t sure to think of the Score brothers or my car after a few hours in the mall parking lot. The guys at the house are hardly impressed and even go so far as to compare the dollar sign to a saggy nutsack or a bathroom faucet. And Kohler thought it had a bold look. Out of nowhere the shot glasses make their return and Jesse Taylor starts pounding shots until he turns into Roberto Benigni at the ‘98 Oscars. Credeur offers to sober him up and decides a trip to the hot tub would be just what the doctor ordered. Apparently he missed episode nine when Taylor painted the town yellow. Jesse decides that he doesn’t need a hot tub to showcase his diuresis and just lets it all go right on the carpet. Hopefully somewhere in the cabinets next to all that booze is a bottle of Resolve. The next morning its back to business and Jesse and Credeur train hard for their upcoming fight. Credeur decides to let Jesse pound on him until he gets tired and then it’s jiu-jitsu time. Good strategy. Sounds airtight to me. After the weigh-ins we get the dreariest piano solo since “The Lonely Man” as Jesse Taylor whips out a picture of his three-year old son and waxes nostalgic. It could be the first instance I’m aware of where the child becomes potty trained before the parent. Semifinal match #1: Jesse Taylor (6-2) vs Tim Credeur (10-2) Round 1: A few jabs and Jesse goes right to the shoot. He drops Credeur with ease and smothers him. Taylor lands a few hammer fists. Credeur is getting mauled and looks totally overpowered. He eats a few elbows. Taylor gets sloppy and Credeur locks up an arm. After a brief struggle Taylor escapes and get back into Credeur’s guard. Taylor lands a few big shots. The corner is shouting instructions to Credeur but he is either unable or unwilling to follow them. More damage from Taylor. Credeur again goes for the arm and then tries to sneak in a triangle but gets nothing. The round ends the same way it started: Creduer in guard eating punches. Round 2: A missed head kick by Credeur opens up a flurry from Taylor and (surprise) a takedown. I considered cutting and pasting the text from round one until out of nowhere Credeur finds a way to sweep and put himself on top. Unfortunately he’s not able to do much with it and gets returned to his original position - with ease. The corner lets out a groan of disapproval. Back to the dominace as Credeur rolls to one side and ends up taking more damage. Credeur gives up his back and now rolls to the other side. Taylor seems oblivious and just keeps punching and smothering until the round expires. Round 3: Taylor opens with an obligatory punch (almost like that mandatory bunt you have to take in batting practice) before shooting and wrestling Credeur to the ground. Taylor muscles him to and fro and Credeur makes it interesting for a minute with an escape but is quickly dragged back to the floor. The corner yells out “Tim, this is your life“. Unfortunately its also his cardio as an exhausted Credeur can only be punished on the ground at this stage. Another failed armbar attempt by Credeur. Taylor looks winded but is strong enough to keep it his fight. The bout ends with Credeur getting beat-up. Jesse Taylor defeats Tim Credeur via unanimous decision. After the fight Jesse vomits into a bucket and rues his choice of eggs for breakfast. Now that I’ve seen Taylor both urinate and vomit, I shudder at what he may have in store for the final episode - knowing that his remaining options are very limited. Stay tuned next week as Amir Sadollah and CB Dolloway clash to see who will face Jesse Taylor in the live finale on June 21 - but wait - someone ends up getting kicked out of the finale and the UFC after some instant replay! Who will it be? How does it go down? Find out next week! |
| Georges St. Pierre: ‘Jon Fitch is the best overall fighter so far’ at UFC 87 (Video) Posted: 11 Jun 2008 08:14 PM CDT (Thanks to BloodyElbow.com for the assist.) |
| Paulo Filho vs Chael Sonnen rematch set for WEC 36 on September 10 Posted: 11 Jun 2008 07:52 PM CDT
No exact location or venue is known at this time. The two met last December in a fight that Sonnen clearly dominating through the first round. He set a torrid pace and seemed to be well on his way to winning the fight. However, in the second Filho sunk in a tight a tight armbar that forced Sonnen to verbally tap with just five seconds remaining on the clock. Sonnen was visibly upset when the referee called a halt to the action, claiming that he never verbally tapped — it was just a scream. Controversy ensued and the promotion responded with scheduling an immediate rematch in March 2008. However, Filho had to withdraw from the bout because of a substance abuse problem (Rupinal) that stemmed from depression. He has since received treatment for the chemical dependency; however, he has not competed since the fight with Sonnen in late 2007. Sonnen — rather than sit idle and wait — took a dangerous fight with Brian Baker at WEC 33, defeating the game competitor via unanimous decision to secure a second meeting with Filho. This is going to truly test the undefeated Brazilian, coming into this fight off a long layoff against a guy who gave him everything he could handle the first time around. Sonnen will be out to prove that the initial encounter wasn’t a fluke and Filho will look to do the complete opposite. (Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Rex” for the assist.) |
| Melendez vs Thomson Strikeforce fight preview to air on HDNet Posted: 11 Jun 2008 07:29 PM CDT
The show will feature all access training footage for both main event fighters, 155-pound champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (14-1) and Josh “The Punk” Thomson (14-2) as the pair prepare for their lightweight title fight in two weeks. Melendez is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the esteemed Caesar Gracie, but can also finish with his hands. He won the Strikeforce lightweight title in June of 2006 with a split decision win over UFC veteran Clay Guida. This will be his second title defense — the first came in March during the Strikeforce: “Shamrock vs. Le” event when he stopped Gabe Lemley in the second round with strikes. “The Punk” also fought Guida, but was on the losing end of the decision. His other loss was a highlight-reel knockout courtesy of Elite XC lightweight contender Yves Edwards at UFC 49: “Unfinished Business.” Other than those two blips, he’s been stellar so far in his MMA career with wins over Hermes Franca, Nam Phan, Duane Ludwig and others. Thompson has a wrestling background from Stanford University and trains at American Kickboxing Academy with guys like Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, among others. This is going to be a great fight and more hype from a preview show can’t be a bad thing. HDNet has really does a nice job of providing solid MMA coverage. Let’s hope the network keeps it up. |
| UFC Fight Night 14 headed for Omaha Nebraska Posted: 11 Jun 2008 02:05 PM CDT
That’s right, the mixed martial arts promotion is in the process of putting together a show — UFC Fight Night 14 — that will be held at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha on Wednesday, September 17. MMAmania.com confirmed the venue and location earlier this afternoon with multiple sources. The Omaha Civic Auditorium can hold about 10,000 fans. It’s home the Omaha Beef — an indoor football team — and the Creighton University women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 winner, Nate Diaz, has already agreed to fight Josh Neer in a lightweight bout on the Spike TV main card. And local product Houston Alexander is set to get in on the action against Eric Schafer in a 205-pound affair. To check out the most recent UFC Fight Night 14 card click here. |
| Tito Ortiz: ‘Fighting at heavyweight is a possibility … people want to see me fight Kimbo’ (Video) Posted: 11 Jun 2008 01:30 PM CDT |
| Vitor Belfort vs Terry Martin Affliction MMA fight booked for July 19 Posted: 11 Jun 2008 11:03 AM CDT
"The Phenom" earned the 205-pound strap with a 49-second technical knockout (cut) of Randy Couture at UFC 46: "Supernatural" back in 2004. There was an immediate rematch and Belfort survived Couture's onslaught for three rounds until the ringside doctor called a halt to the action in the final frame at UFC 49: "Unfinished Business." He went on to lose his next bout to Tito Ortiz via split decision at UFC 51: "Super Saturday" and eventually worked his way overseas to compete under the Pride FC banner. He dropped two of three bouts, including a unanimous decision loss to Dan Henderson at PRIDE 32: "The Real Deal." In the wake of the defeat, Belfort tested positive for banned anabolic steroid known 4-hydroxytestosterone (he claimed it was an over the counter supplement) and the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) suspended him for nine months and levied a $10,000 fine. The Brazilian competed six months later in a Cage Rage event, which is a big no-no when it comes to licensure here in the United States – he was supposed to honor that ruling. Therefore, it is interesting that he has been announced for the California card. Meanwhile, Martin is out to prove that he is among the best 185-pound fighters despite back-to-back losses inside the Octagon. He will look to rebound this weekend against Daiju Takase on the first-ever Adrenaline MMA card set for the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on June 14. He has also kept busy on the boxing circuit, knocking out Ricardo Upchurch in his professional debut in a cruiserweight bout back in April. Martin will certainly have his hands full with Belfort, who is making his debut at 185 pounds. But he possesses knockout power in both fists, which can come into play at anytime. Affliction MMA features the showdown between Fedor Emilianenko and Tim Sylvia, as well as other heavyweight clashes between Josh Barnett and Pedro Rizzo and Andrei Arklovski and Ben Rothwell. The card is absolutely loaded … check it out on pay-per-view (PPV) on Saturday, July 19. |
| ‘Swicking Out’ with Mike Swick at UFC 85 Marcus Davis fight Posted: 11 Jun 2008 09:32 AM CDT
Props: MMA.tv Quoteworthy:
– Mike Swick comments on the flailing exchange in the final frame of his fight with Marcus Davis at UFC 85: “Bedlam” this past weekend at the O2 Arena in London, England. It looked like two school girls in a cat fight … good to see he can see the humor in it. He went on to win the fight — a very good one with those final few seconds notwithstanding — via unanimous decision. |
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