Darrill Schoonover would drop nearly everything to fight Bellator's 'Rampage'

Darrill Schoonover and Quinton Jackson

Before Quinton Jackson called him out, Darrill Schoonover’s mind was mostly occupied by 18 credit hours nagging him at New Mexico State University, where he’s trying to get an undergraduate degree in water technology – “just to get a job” – before trying for a master’s in psychology.

Now, he’s a little distracted.

“Before he gets too old, before I get too old, let’s do it,” Schoonover told MMAjunkie. “I guarantee I’ll put on more of a show than (Kevin) ‘Kimbo Slice’ (Ferguson). I’m like, c’mon. Kimbo’s a nice guy and all, but I’ll put on a hell of a show compared to that. It’s something that needs to be done. He has a problem with it. I have a problem with it. I don’t know why since he’s the one that tarnished the hell out of my name.

“This is the way I see it. Nowadays, with everybody suing at the drop of a hat, if someone were to tarnish someone’s name to such an extent as he did mine, I probably would have sued him. I don’t want to sue him. I don’t want his money. I want to step in there, get toe-to-toe with him, and settle it like men. That’s all I want to do.”

Six years ago, Jackson (36-11 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) and Schoonover (14-8) reported to the Las Vegas set of “The Ultimate Fighter 10? as coach and fighter, respectively, in the all-heavyweight season. But they nearly came to blows when Jackson repeatedly teased Schoonover about his appearance, nicknaming him “Titties.”

Over the years, Schoonover said, he tried to get a fight with Jackson and never got beyond a few callouts in the press. It’s no wonder; though they went nose-to-nose on the show, the reality was their careers were light years apart, with Jackson a marquee UFC name and Schoonover a virtually unknown up-and-comer.

That doesn’t mean Schoonover simply moved on from the experience. From the day he walked off the set until today, he said, he hasn’t been able to escape Jackson’s presence via the derogatory term. Even when “Rampage” called him out during an appearance this past week during “The MMA Hour,” he didn’t use Schoonover’s actual name, but the insult.

“Every fighter’s dream is to get on (‘The Ultimate Fighter’) – that’s when they’re going to be able to make it,” Schoonover said. “It was totally backward for me. Every time someone says my name now, I hear a derogatory comment. I’m tired of it, dude. Let’s settle this. I would love to settle it.

“When it first started (airing), I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I had to put everyone in their place. I’m done with all that. I’m mature now. I’m 30 years old. I’m ready to settle down and start a family. He tarnished my name. I’m a college student. I’m a business owner. I’m constantly taking kids off the streets and putting them in amateur boxing and just supporting the community.

“This (expletive) is just hanging over me like a cloud.”

Until that interview, Schoonover considered himself retired from MMA.

“I turned 30, and I told myself I would be done by age 30,” he said. “I was focusing on school and other things. I’m taking 18 credit hours right now. But if this opportunity comes up, I want it.”

A bit more wise in the ways of the world, Schoonoever isn’t going to give up his studies to fight Jackson if given the opportunity. But he is going to put everything he can into a training camp.

“I’ve dropped school enough times for big fights,” he said. “I dropped out of school for ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ I don’t need to do that anymore. But I will take this fight, I will train my ass off, and I guarantee he’s not going to be ready for the first two or three months. It will be, what, six months before this even gets to happen? I wish it would happen sooner.”

Jackson only recently was cleared of a legal obstruction to his fighting career when a lawsuit with the Viacom-owned Bellator was settled. A contract with the UFC was nixed in favor of a two-bout Bellator deal, one which could prove to be his last after more than a decade in MMA.

At 38, Jackson admitted he has too many losses on his record and wants to go out by winning, which is where Schoonover’s name came up.

Schoonover said Jackson’s reasoning for calling him out matters little.

“I don’t see how people wouldn’t enjoy this fight,” he said. “I’ll step in there and go toe-to-toe with him. Not many people would. I guarantee if I get in there with him, I’ll make him go for the takedown.”

Jackson’s rep did not respond to a request for comment on Schoonover’s interview.

Schoonover’s most recent fight took place this past October in a regional Texas promotion and ended with a third-round disqualification loss – bizarrely, the result of repeated warnings from the referee for trash-talking during the fight, his manager Jason Ellis told MMAjunkie. That brought his post-“TUF” record to 4-8, which includes wins over onetime UFC heavyweight title challenger Paul Buentello and “TUF 13” coach Lew Polley, and losses to “TUF 7” vet Jeremy May and current UFC heavyweight Antony Hamilton.

From Bellator’s no-comment response to the potential booking, Schoonover could face an uphill battle to get his wish. But if the promotion is looking for an easy storyline and a ready-made grudge match, they certainly know where to find one.

“He’s 38 years old,” Schoonover said of Jackson. “He wants easy fights and easy paydays. It’s not going to happen with me. He might beat me. I might beat him. I don’t really care. I just want to get in there and settle this.”

For more on the upcoming Bellator schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.