Christmas may have come early for the UFC, as reports are surfacing that former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is possibly poised to return to his former home. The news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com's Steven Marrocco on Twitter:
I'm hearing Rampage just signed a deal with UFC for announce Sat. I'm skeptical. He's under contract with Bellator.
— Steven Marrocco (@MMAjunkieSteven) December 20, 2014
This move, if true, is a surprising turn for 'Page. Jackson had one of the ugliest, most-bitter divorces in UFC history in 2013 when he left the promotion in a blaze of dirty laundry and allegations of the UFC shortchanging him on pay-per-view points. Shortly after losing to Glover Teixeira at UFC on Fox 6, he left the promotion and quickly signed a deal with Viacom, parent company of Spike TV, which included competing in Bellator MMA, making appearances on TNA Impact Wrestling and starring in a reality TV series.
Do you want to see Rampage return to the UFC?
While Jackson's fling with the company was initially a lovefest, things got progressively rocky through 2014. He discussed footing the bill for his much-discussed double knee surgery. He had a big fallout with TNA. And he expressed his unhappiness with Spike TV's takeover of Bellator headquarters.
However, things started to heat back up between Jackson and the UFC in November, when he expressed regrets about leaving the promotion. This led to some interesting sound bites from UFC President Dana White and Jackson's surprise addition to the EA Sports UFC video game.
While the once-icy relationship between the UFC and Jackson certainly seems to be thawing, it feels somewhat unlikely that Viacom will simply let one of its biggest stars walk away. Jackson has been a legitimate draw for Bellator, and his three-fight winning streak has given him renewed relevance in the light heavyweight division. Bellator's new head honcho, Scott Coker, stated that he expects Jackson to rejoin the company after sorting out some personal and professional matters.
The details of his contract are unknown, so it is anyone's guess what may come of this. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.
