Rampage praises Maldonado and challenges: 'I want Shogun, Glover, Rashad, until I get to Jones'

Jackson (photo) wants to resume his path towards the belt with victories against his past tormentors. Photo: Reproduction

Quinton Rampage Jackson celebrated his return with the right foot in the UFC, this Saturday (25), in Montreal, Canada. The American, former light heavyweight champion, defeated Fábio Maldonado in the second most important fight of UFC 186, achieving his first victory in the Octagon since May 2011.

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More than triumph, Rampage valued the way in which the fight unfolded, spending practically the entire 15 minutes of action in striking. “To be honest, I was happy just not fighting a guy who was desperate to take me down. When you fight with a man, a real MMA fighter, you can use your kicks and your knees more”, highlighted the fighter, in a press conference after the fight.

More than the Brazilian's posture, Rampage praised the Sorocabano's resistance to blows, attributing this to the fact that he was unable to get the knockout. “I have no excuses, I wasn't rusty and I trained harder than I've ever trained before. I have no excuses. I just think that Fábio is not human. I gave everything I could, and he asked for more. I didn’t know what to do, so I kept trying,” he pointed out.

However, the trajectory of Rampage heading to UFC 186 was not easy, as he was removed from the card due to legal problems with Bellator. “This was the most stressful period in my entire career. I've been fighting for 15 years and I've never had to deal with what I had to deal with just to get here. I hope I don’t have to go through this again, but I’m a fighter and I’ll fight whatever it takes,” he said.

Now excited about victory, Rampage hopes to take revenge on some of his tormentors in the past until he reaches the current champion of the category, Jon Jones. “Honestly, I want to beat everyone who beat me in the past. Shogun, Glover, Rashad, until he made his way to Jon Jones. I’m on this mission,” he commented.