Rampage Offered Title Shot Before Jones..

[Eccocide]

And turned it down. I can't say I blame him. Shogun already destroyed him once and this time it would be on short notice.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/2/7/1980749/ufc-champ-shogun-rua-claims-rampage-jackson-ducked-him#storyjump

UFC announcer Joe Rogan jolted budding superstar Jon Jones at UFC 126 by announcing to the crowd that Jones would have an immediate title shot against Mauricio Rua at UFC 128. Jones' teammate Rashad Evans had the title shot but blew out his MCL earlier this week in training.
Now UFC champion Shogun Rua is telling Tatame.com that Quinton Jackson had been offered the fight and declined it:

According to (Rua) to TATAME TV (below, in Portuguese), Rampage was offered the shot. "The UFC thought in other alternatives, but it didn't worked out. For some reason he (Jackson) didn't accepted it", Shogun said, talking about his upcoming fight against Jon Jones. "I'll have to change my training because he's a lot different from Rashad, much taller, and it'll be a great challenge. He's been surprising everybody in the UFC, defeated everybody with easy, and it'll be a tough fight for me", he stated

[Poppa Catfish]

Rampage has been walking around very heavy in between fights, probably would have needed to hack off limbs to make 205 in 6 weeks. If Jones was in the same situation as Rampage, he more than likely would have turned it down as well, seeing as he also walks around in the 230+ ball park.

[ttrace35]

Smart from Rampage. Rampage is my all time favorite fighter, but I don't think he can beat shogun. The chute-box camp has been the only ones to KO my boy.

[Kaladarus]

That makes sense. It was surprising Jones was offered it first, but now we know.

[Kaladarus]

Actually now that I think about it Griffin should have got the title shot. He's beat Shogun and Rampage and just put in 3 rounds of domination against Franklin. Franklin was coming off a win over the greatest legend in the sport.

[iQon]

As a fan, I love seeing Jones/Shogun.

As a degenerate gambler always looking for easy money, I hate Rampage for passing and Rashad for getting injured.

[sportsfanatic]

easy bet on rua vs rampage. wouldn't have been a close fight imo.

[Straight Cash]

Smart move if he wouldnt be ready for it IMO.

[Vaughany]

Yeah apparently he's fat as f**K at moment, looking like Tim Sylvia!

[99Boxster]

Wow...I guess he doesn't know what a sauna is and doesn't like money. Shogun was horrible after the long layoff against forrest. Plus rampage always has one punch ko power. Prob his best shot to win. Then again he is notorious for doing stupid things tho

[Poppa Catfish]

ah yes the old tried and true technique of going to a sauna to cut 30 to 40 pounds of water weight

..........

[Vaughany]

ah yes the old tried and true technique of going to a sauna to cut 30 to 40 pounds of water weight

..........

Jason Guida almost managed it on TUF Mir vs Nog season!

[Poppa Catfish]

He would have made it too, if that cake hadn't mouth raped him.

[ttrace35]

Wow...I guess he doesn't know what a sauna is and doesn't like money. Shogun was horrible after the long layoff against forrest. Plus rampage always has one punch ko power. Prob his best shot to win. Then again he is notorious for doing stupid things tho

Curious as to what stupid things Rampage is notorious for?

[Vaughany]

Curious as to what stupid things Rampage is notorious for?

ha probly his penchant for energy drinks and the quite literal "rampage" that he went on!

[rocky mattioli]

if i were rampage,i`d give thiago silva my undivided attention.....

[Pabinator]

ha probly his penchant for energy drinks and the quite literal "rampage" that he went on!

[sportsfanatic]

if i were rampage,i`d give thiago silva my undivided attention.....

should be good fight. both have KO power.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Rampage had the chance to go down as the best lightweight in MMA history. He came into the UFC KO'd Liddell, then beat the PRIDE champ Henderson. He got fat and was derailled by Griffin. If he beat Griffin and went on to avenge his loss to W. Silva(he did)/ Rua, he could e the best LHW ever.

[brooks85]

just saw this video, hilarious if its true. 4:40 mark

[jin2daj]

rampage hasnt done anything. he most recently lost to rashad and then he "beat" machida. 1 "win" should not get him a title shot.

if anything machida beat himself by not being aggresive enough, but rampage did not land a single significant strike that match.

[Vaughany]

just saw this video, hilarious if its true. 4:40 mark

WTF??????! I swear Rashad says "I went to give him his props, I BEAT MACHIDA, he beat Machida.."!!! Then says that Rampage used his strategy and kept taking Machida down???? Does anybody else hear this??! Im confused right now!

[brooks85]

ya that is just another part that makes me question if it really is true. Aside from the odd stuff he is saying you would think if page/rashad starting getting into it a camera would have be recording asap and TMZ would have a new story to break, or someone there who saw it would have reported it.

[99Boxster]

$hit like this

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/38091-rampage-jackson-arrested-after-police-chase

[rocky502]

Jones is so damn explosive. I think this fight could a great one. Much more exciting than Rashad. He is boring but I could have seen him grind out a boring decision against Rua. This fight does not go the distance IMO.

[sportsfanatic]

deleted

[sportsfanatic]

i kinda wish rampage had taken the fight. free money on rua.

[sideloaded]

Rampage is a quitter, he's done fighting. He lost the machida fight. Everyone knows that. Good bye Rampage you gave me some good memories but never lived up to what you could have been.

[MadTiger]

Smart from Rampage. Rampage is my all time favorite fighter, but I don't think he can beat shogun. The chute-box camp has been the only ones to KO my boy.

ChuteBox is Kryptonite for my boy Rampage. On short notice, too? Sheee-it. Leave that alone. Let "12-to-6" give it a go. Man, I love Rua, also. I will be happy either way this fight ends up.

[MadTiger]

ah yes the old tried and true technique of going to a sauna to cut 30 to 40 pounds of water weight ..........

That is life-threatening shit. You can't call someone out for not doing unnecessary, life-threatening things. The guy is famous at his chosen profession. He's a millionaire. He has a family he loves. Why risk you life draining away your bodyweight when you can pass, and still have all those things. (Plus, he would probably get that ass beat.)

[ttrace35]

Rampage is a quitter, he's done fighting. He lost the machida fight. Everyone knows that. Good bye Rampage you gave me some good memories but never lived up to what you could have been.

I agree. Ramp might be washed up. But this dude is hardly a bust. When he was in pride, he was in his prime. Would have ran thru the UFC IMO. You see what he did to ufc posterboy Chuck Liddell. Ramp has had a million fights and is getting old. He came to ufc too late.

[GoldRush7]

Page is not the same fighter, he let the fame in the US get to him. It's a shame because I really loved watching is brawling style. It proved that just coming in and "whooping ass" could still work. Not so much anymore...

[Vaughany]

That is life-threatening shit. You can't call someone out for not doing unnecessary, life-threatening things. The guy is famous at his chosen profession. He's a millionaire. He has a family he loves. Why risk you life draining away your bodyweight when you can pass, and still have all those things. (Plus, he would probably get that ass beat.)

haha Dont think he got ur facetiousness ther Poppa!

[Poppa Catfish]

haha Dont think he got ur facetiousness ther Poppa!

What is the score? SBR 4598221 Reading Comprehension 0

[Vaughany]

What is the score? SBR 4598221 Reading Comprehension 0

ha Dunno, but I can't believe u'd want a fighter do to go through such a death-defying weight cut...some fan u are!