Quinton “Rampage” Jackson plans to stay.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion told TMZ that he is not retiring despite not competing after parting ways with Bellator in 2019. Jackson, 44, recently lost a first-round TKO to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237 and is aiming to finish his career higher.
“No, man. I’m not done,” Jackson said (transcribed via Bloody Elbow). “I’m not happy with my performance in my last fight. I can’t just leave the MMA fans like this.”
Jackson has lost three of his last four fights but before that slump he won five fights for Bellator and the UFC. He holds a 38-14 record in MMA but hopes he can be a boxer if he returns , not cage fighters.
The 23-year combat sports veteran already has an opponent in line for two-time heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs. Briggs, 50, got into a scuffle with Jackson at a triad fight event last November, and Jackson said a potential boxing match between them was underway.
“Like I said, I’m just negotiating with Shannon, in the end,” Jackson said. “This fight has been in the works for almost a year. I want to do some boxing before I retire.”
“I might do MMA, but I want to do boxing, ‘ he added. “I’m going up. I’m 44. I’m going up. My knee [injured] from a fall. When you’re doing MMA, a lot of people want to bring you down. They want to wrestle you.”
