Quinton Jackson wants to run it back with his once-bitter rival and fellow former UFC champ Rashad Evans for his professional boxing debut.
The former UFC light heavyweight champ “Rampage” Jackson has been looking for a return to combat sports in recent years, and has been close to securing a boxing match with Shannon Briggs. So close in fact, a date was set for June 8 at an event titled “Rumble of Titans: Duel in the Desert” that was to take place in Qatar.
Unfortunately for “Rampage,” his return to action fizzled after fraud concerns with the promoters, Quantum Sports & Media World.
“We was going to do it in Qatar, but the guys that were putting it on, they ended up being f*cking scam artists,” Jackson told Joe Rogan on the JRE MMA Show. “I was trusting them. I really liked the guys, they was cool people, but fast talkers. Two months before I pulled out, Shannon was like, ‘Man, these guys are scammers, bro.’ I was like, ‘Man, you brought these motherf*ckers to me.'”
According to Jackson, Briggs was turned off by how things were progressing with the event promoters, and the fight fell apart. However, he says Briggs is still working on making the matchup come together, but ‘Rampage’ won’t hold his breath.
Now, “Rampage” is turning his focus on running it back with Evans, who defeated Jackson at UFC 114 by unanimous decision after a heated build as rival coaches on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“He and I are talking about doing a boxing match against each other in November,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to get that going.”
Jackson is still open to fighting Briggs, but he will leave it up to the boxer to find a promoter. In the meantime, he will work toward meeting Evans in the ring, who he admits has become a friend over the years.
“He’s still trying, but I lost my faith in Shannon,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if he’s going to get it done. He talks a good game. I hope he get it done. If he ever gets it done, I’ll be game to fight him, but right now, I guess my first boxing match is going to be against Rashad. I need to get that win back.”
Jackson, 46, was last in action at Bellator 237 in December 2019, where he lost by first-round stoppage to Fedor Emelianenko. Evans, 44, who has become an analyst on UFC broadcasts, last competed in January 2022, where he defeated Gabriel Checco by unanimous decision in Eagle FC.
Neither former UFC champion has competed in professional boxing before.
“Rampage” says the event is being discussed to take place in Atlanta under the ONE Championship banner, but is waiting to hear from his management about how things are progressing. The promotion is hosting ONE 169 on Nov. 8 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, which is headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champ Anatoly Malykhin and Oumar Kane.
MMA Junkie reached out to ONE officials for confirmation about the plans for Jackson vs. Evans, but did not respond at the time of writing.
