10 Things Fans Should Know About Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Even most people who aren’t major MMA fans have at least heard of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The man has managed to excel in some way in just about everything he’s tried out over the years. While he’s well known by UFC fans, Jackson’s career saw him spending plenty of time with other promotions.Related: The Iceman: 10 Things UFC Fans Should Know About Chuck LiddellWith plenty of "fight of the night" and "knockout of the night" honors, it’s obvious that Rampage managed to impress fans around the world with his abilities. The man was a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and managed to unify that title with the Pride World Middleweight Championship. Put quite simply, for a time, Rampage was the man.

10 Rampage Had A Hard Life Growing Up

While there is no shortage of UFC and MMA stars that grew up in relatively rough conditions, few fighters had it as rough as Rampage. It’s been said that from a young age Rampage actually started selling drugs and getting into a number of scary fights.

His tumultuous home life likely didn’t help any of the other issues in Rampage’s life. Issues with his parents, seeming to mostly stem from his absentee and drug-addicted father, likely played a big part in the issues that Rampage faced when he was just a kid.

9 He Learned To Fight In A Surprising Way

Many UFC fighters end up falling in love with fighting in part because they began practicing at an early age. Rather than getting into MMA, Rampage proved to be quite a competent wrestler during his youth.

It was his skill in wrestling that led him to a trade of sorts with a friend who also went on to become an MMA fighter. Jackson apparently taught his friend various wrestling techniques so long as his friend would teach him all the karate techniques he knew. That was the start of Rampage’s love for MMA.

8 He Wanted To Become A Professional Wrestler

A quick glance at Rampage is sure to let anyone know that the man belongs in some kind of competitive sport. With his large build, Rampage could have been a dominant force in anything he decided to pursue.

While he ultimately pursued the world of MMA, he originally intended to become a professional wrestler instead. Hardcore fans of Rampage likely know that he managed to achieve his professional wrestling dream much later into his MMA career, but it’s not hard to imagine just how well Rampage could have done in wrestling.

7 He Was Once Marketed As A Homeless Man

MMA can be very different in various parts of the world, and turning the clock back a few years only adds to how different things could be. Pride itself was a very different promotion back in 2001, and in a fact that may shock many, they originally pushed Rampage as some kind of homeless fighter.

It’s definitely something that can seem to be attached to some negative stereotypes from a bygone era, but looking at it in a charitable way, it’s a great way to show a fighter who has nothing to lose. Regardless, Rampage managed to show the world just how iconic he could become in a short amount of time.

6 He’s Competed In Kickboxing

quinton jackson king mo — © Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

While Rampage is often remembered for his dominant displays of power, many fans seem to forget that he tried his hand at dominating in kickboxing. He didn’t spend all that much time in the world of kickboxing, with just two fights to his name.

Despite the briefness of his stint in the sport, Rampage did manage to win both of his matches. He even managed to win one of his matches via knockout. With the kind of knockout power Rampage has at his disposal, his victories shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

5 He’s Faced A Number Of Controversies & Legal Issues

There likely isn’t a single Rampage Jackson fan that isn’t aware of his many controversies and issues with the law over the years. One of the biggest issues in his career was his image as a fighter. He had a habit of doing some rather sleazy things to reporters he deemed attractive.

Jackson has also had some issues with reckless driving, and whether his version of events and reasoning make sense to his fans or not, reckless driving is never something that looks good for anyone. Despite these setbacks, Rampage still managed to be one of the most recognizable figures in MMA for a long time.

4 He Was Only Finished Once In The UFC

USA_-Quinton-Jackson — Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

One of the rarest feats in all of combat sports is going undefeated. While Rampage was far from that feat, he nearly had another strange feat, that being he was almost never finished during his time in the UFC.

His only loss that didn’t come via decision was actually handed to him by Jon Jones and an expertly cinched in rear-naked choke. The fact that Rampage was never knocked out during his time with the UFC is something that impresses many of his most hardcore fans.

3 He Beat Chuck Liddell Before He Even Got To The UFC

Longtime UFC fans are sure to remember when Chuck Liddell was one of the hottest fighters in the world. Many fans of Rampage may not be aware that he managed to hand Chuck a significant defeat while still relatively early in his career.

The win came at a Pride Middleweight Grand Prix tournament. Liddell was sent over to the tournament as a representative of the UFC, and it’s likely that the company wasn’t thrilled when he was beaten by Rampage after Liddell's corner called for a stop to the match.

2 He’s Made Plenty of Movie & TV Appearances

With how popular Rampage was at one point in his career, it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that he’s featured in plenty of shows and movies. Many people likely remember Rampage’s starring role in the A-Team, but he’s been featured in lots of other famous franchises like The Cleveland Show, Never Back Down, and more.

While many would likely think that Rampage would be best suited for the role of an intense enforcer character, he often plays a character that comes with plenty of humor on the side as well. That humor is a refreshing side to see of Rampage for many of his biggest fans.

1 He Once Joined An Iconic Wrestling Stable

There are plenty of MMA fans who refer to themselves as casual fans of wrestling, really only tuning in for something that may end up being spectacular, rather than tuning in weekly. Those fans may not be aware that Rampage got to live out his dreams on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling with a short stint as a pro wrestler.

Rampage got to work with some of the most iconic names in the history of the industry. He joined the New Main Event Mafia which featured Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, and Magnus. Rampage even got to work with AJ Styles and another iconic stable called Aces & Eights during his time with TNA.