(Props: ‘DamnSevern‘ on the UG)
After a pleasant afternoon of trash talk at today’s UFC 135 press conference in Denver, headliners Jon Jones and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson got in each other’s faces for their first officially-sanctioned staredown. Jones was clearly trying to do that thing where he looks off to the side like his opponent isn’t even in the room. Rampage responded by turning his back to Jones and pointing at nobody in particular, politican-style. Round one goes to Rampage?
After the jump, some highlights from their verbal exchanges at the press conference, via MMAMania and MMAFighting…
Quinton Jackson: “You know he [wants to take the fight to the ground]. Come on, man. Who been standing up with me? Who been doing mixed martial arts with me? Everybody been wrestlin’ with me. You already know.”
Jon Jones: “I think I displayed pretty good kickboxing against Mauricio ‘Shogun.’ ‘Shogun’ is one who will throw knees and elbows and actually throw high kicks. Rampage is like fighting a boxer in my opinion. If he thinks that I’m intimidated to stand by him then I think it’s great for me that he’s under that impression.”
Quinton Jackson: “I just have to say, straight up, I respect you dog, I do think you’re the future of MMA, keepin’ it real but you fought ‘Shogun’ when he was rusty as hell. He was off an injury, hadn’t fought for a year, like two knee surgeries.”
Jon Jones: “There will always be excuses. There will always be excuses. I’m sure after our fight I’ll hear, ‘you didn’t fight the Pride Rampage, you fought the movie star Rampage.’ There will always be excuses.”
Quinton Jackson: “You’re right, there’s always excuses. There’s a hundred of them. I’ve got like three excuses for every time I’ve lost. I’ve got a bunch of ‘em (laughs).”
Jon Jones: “You thinking of anything good now?”
Quinton Jackson: “I ain’t gonna need no excuses after this fight. I ain’t going to need not one. You’re gonna need a bunch of ‘em.”
…
Quinton Jackson: You know, if I have to represent the old school, I guess I’ll represent them. You put me in that category. I was younger than [Jones] when I started. I was 21, 22 fighting Wanderlei [Silva] and stuff like that. I guess I’m old school, but with old school comes a lot of experience. He’s the youngest champion, but I think he’s the least experienced champion in UFC history. All that other stuff don’t matter to me. I just come to fight and get my belt back. That’s the only thing I care about. I got tunnel vision. I don’t care about nothing else.”
Jon Jones: “I think Brock Lesnar might have been the least experienced champion. Fighting Rampage is an honor. He’s been around a long time. I’ve been watching him since high school or college. I respect his character and what he does for the sport. It’s an opportunity for me to elevate. When you beat people who accomplish so much, you take a little bit of their thunder and accolades. That’s what I did with Shogun, and that what I’d like to do with Rampage.”
Quinton Jackson: “Him and Rashad got something in common. They’re both really cocky. I’m confident, very confident in myself. There’s a difference. Last time I was this confident, I knocked someone [Chuck Liddell] out in the first round and got that belt. I’ve been working hard, training and doing all the right things, all the stuff I need to be doing. That belt’s coming back to me, for real.”
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Rampage just took a huge jump up in my estimation. Rampage knows Jones takes himself too seriously and he just cut him to the quick.