By Jared Jones

I’m going to level with you for a second, Potato Nation. Last Friday, around 1 p.m. EST, I sat down for a twenty minute phone interview with none other than former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. As you may or may not know, Rampage has a series of IPhone/Android video games coming out, the first of which is aptly named “Rampage Punch.” You can learn all you need to know about the game in the above video, and you can download the apps for IPhone here and for Android here.

Much to my chagrin, when I tried to pry into Quinton’s beefs with everyone from the UFC to Chael Sonnen, I was pretty much denied any worthwhile answers, and told by MEDL Mobile’s publicist, who was also on the line, to keep the questions within the realm of video games. I’m not sure how many of you consider yourselves “gamers,” or care to hear what Rampage has to say about video games, but needless to say, I was at a loss for words. I do not own a smart phone, and the last console I ever purchased was an N64, because there is no point trying to find a console that will top perfection. I understand that Mr. Jackson is a busy guy, and probably has to do hundreds of interviews with low-level bloggers/writers like myself, but considering how vocal he has been about all of the goings-on in his MMA career as of late (ie. the stuff you’d actually be interested in), the fact that I was more or less relegated to a puff piece on a video games, for an MMA blog nonetheless, was disappointing to say the least.

This is in no way a jab at Quinton, because I was more than appreciative to be able to talk to him, but rather a truthful statement of how the interview went down. So it is with this fair warning that I present to you my conversation with Mr. Jackson as it played out, and allow you to decide upon it’s merit. There are definitely some interesting things to take away from this interview, but if you are not a gamer, most of it will likely not be your cup of tea.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: So I’ve been playing your Rampage Punch app for the past few days and I was wondering, could this game actually help the keyboard warriors of the world improve their punching power?

Rampage: “I’m sure it will help a lot of people. It’s just basically a game showing you where [your punching power is] at. You might need to go back and work on it some more if you’re not getting high numbers.”

(If you’re controlling the Japanese fighter against Rampage, just hit down, down, up, X, down to poison his food.)

By Jason Moles

Two weeks ago, fans around the world were delighted to partake in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest attempt to broaden its revenue streams with the release of UFC Undisputed 3. It didn’t take long before word began to spread about just how incredible the game is. But despite all of the improvements and advantages that Undisputed 3 has over the game’s first two installments — such as an improved submission system, a less cluttered career mode, and the inclusion of two additional weight classes and a PRIDE mode — the game just isn’t quite “as real as it gets.” At least not yet. Here are five things that UFC and THQ need to add the next go-’round if they want to put a little truth in their advertising and gain some more street cred among UFC die-hards.

Hat Thieves: If you’ve been watching the sport for any amount of time you will have noticed that fighters love to promote their sponsors with every opportunity they get, from donning their gear to slapping a sticker on everything they wear. Some even go as far tattooing a logo on their calf. One of the easiest ways to rep a company that gives you a paycheck for the exposure is to throw a ball cap on your head on the way to the Octagon…and hope that you still have it on when you hit the Harley Davidson prep point.

Hat snatchers are the lowest of the low, depending on whom you ask, and yet they add a comically endearing bit of chaos to the broadcast. C’mon, admit it. You chuckle every time a hat vanishes into the crowd. Therefore when my created fighter, The Bulldog, makes his way to the cage, I want to see someone snatch his hat. Then, and only then, will I know I’ve made it.

Props: MMAFighting.com

Fights taking place in North America just haven’t worked out for the cheesily-nicknamed Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis. Heading into last night’s “Rumble of the Kings”, the DREAM welterweight champion was 0-3 with one no contest on North American soil. Arguably just as bad, his politically incorrect nickname typically is replaced with the totally original “Raging Demon” moniker.

Unfortunately for Bruno Carvalho, last night’s “Rumble of the Kings” took place in Stockholm, Sweden.

Of course, you wouldn’t expect us to make inappropriate jokes about the UFC in the first place. Props: ufcundisputed.com

As a gamer, it sometimes confuses me that I get so excited about the release of new sports games. Other than updated rosters and an occasional gimmick that actually pans out, I’m essentially buying the exact same game every year. Not to mention that for every new feature that I’ll actually use, such as the truck stick in Madden games, there are two or three that I’ll either ignore or downright loathe. So for me to actually be excited about the newest edition of UFC Undisputed is sort of an accomplishment.

Earlier this week, THQ and the UFC released details regarding the game’s development. Set to be released in January of 2012, UFC Undisputed 3 will be available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Obviously, UFC Undisputed 3 will feature the addition of featherweights and bantamweights, improved graphics and new camera angles, just like every other sequel to a sports game. For those of you looking to get in touch with your inner Mayhems, the game will also have fighter entrances. What is especially noteworthy though is that the game will also allow players to play in Pride mode.

For those of you thinking that this just means players will get to use soccer kicks in the Octagon, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. The game will not only feature authentic Pride environments (read: a ring), but also Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros doing commentary. That alone has potential to be an awesome gaming experience, although the competition for best video game announcer is pretty stiff. Naturally, you will also be allowed to use soccer kicks, knees to a downed opponent and head stomps.

Official trailer, courtesy of the UFCTHQ YouTube page, after the jump.

(Vid: Playboy.com)

Just a couple of days before the semifinalists in our ’2011 Hottest Women in MMA Grand Prix’ are revealed and we thought you could use a little scouting video. What you’ll find above is a subtle little film from the artistes over at Playboy where Octagon girl (and tournament two-seed) Brittney Palmer dresses up like a slutty Power Ranger and plays video games in the most sexually-charged way possible against some lady named Jo Garcia. We’re led to believe Ms Garcia is some variety of Playmate, but whatevs. When we saw it, we thought of you, Nation. Need convincing that this is something you should invest just under two and a half minutes in? “I’m so on top of you right now,” Garcia says to B-Palm at one point. Watch the vid, then come back on Thursday to find out who stays in the running for the big gold belt, the medal, the trophies, the oversized check and the wreathy crown.

Yes, after working out a couple bugs, we’re ready to re-drop our first flash game onto your asses. You can find the latest iteration of Cage Potato Power Punch after the jump. The biggest improvement in CPPP2.0? We’ve included the actual voice of ReX13, shouting encouragement — and the occasional insult. So it’s like you’re really at our UFC Fan Expo booth, trying to kill some time until Wanderlei Silva makes his autograph-signing appearance. Play it, share it, brag about your high scores, do what you do.

Massive thanks to Up Up Down Down Games for putting this together for us. For more stupid fun, you may also enjoy Charlie Sheen: Escape From Rehab, Downhill Snowboard, and Kill Them All.

Special thanks to CagePotato reader ‘RwilsonR’ for coming up with the punch-machine game idea in the first place. We owe him, big time.

(Props: Spike.com)

Saturday night’s Spike Video Game Awards crowned UFC Undisputed 2009 as the year’s Best Individual Sports Game, beating out such notable titles as Fight Night Round 4 and Wii Sports Resort. And while that’s not a huge accomplishment considering that the UFC and Spike are in bed together and the whole broadcast was basically just one big advertisement, the ceremony did offer a first look at next year’s installment of Undisputed.

We begin with a montage of UFC stars telling us what being a fighter does and doesn’t require. To be honest, it sounds like a very demanding profession. Tito Ortiz tries so hard to sell his line, God bless him. Though there isn’t much actual game-footage to judge, some minor improvements are on display: Anderson Silva switches from southpaw to orthodox stance. Frank Mir is held against the fence. And of course, Kimbo Slice joins the cast, swinging some wide-ass punches at a faceless opponent. UFC Undisputed 2010 is slated to hit stores on May 25th — what improvements would you like to see in the updated version?

(Props: wec)

Heads up: WEC 44 goes down next Wednesday in Las Vegas, with featherweight champ Mike Brown defending his belt against terrifying knockout artist Jose Aldo, who has ended all five of his appearences in the WEC via highlight-reel stoppage; his last opponent, Cub Swanson, lasted all of eight seconds. But is Mike Brown scared? Nah. "He’s never faced the caliber of fighter that I am," Brownie says. "It’s not gonna be an easy fight of course, but if I do my thing, I’m gonna win the fight." Check out the full lineup here.

(Top image courtesy of facebook.com/easportsmma via Fightlinker; for comparison, a similar shot from UFC 2009 Undisputed is underneath.)

The first gameplay image from the upcoming EA Sports MMA video game has been released, showing Fedor Emelianenko armbarring some poor, faceless opponent. Compared to the UFC joint that came before it, facial realism seems to be a priority here, though there’s something unsavory about Fedor’s expression. Basically, it’s the same expression that John Mayer gets when it’s time for his guitar solo. I don’t think Fedor has ever made that face in his life, maybe not even while in the throes of church-sanctioned marital passion. But other than that, we’re intrigued. A preview of the game will air during "Fedor vs. Rogers," November 7th on CBS.

Tekken 6 MMA Boxing Live Action Trailer – Watch more Game Trailers
(Props: Break.com Game Trailers)

Above is the live-action trailer for Tekken 6, which succeeds in being awesome despite the fact that the game itself is only briefly shown at the end. The gist is, fighters from all walks of life — Josh Barnett, Dan Hardy, and Evander Holyfield, among others — discuss what drew them to fighting and why they do it. I guess they’re supposed to represent the different styles and mindsets in the video game, though the montage fails to include boxing kangaroos or a sentient wooden training dummy. There is, however, a Tekken 6 character that’s clearly based on Roy Nelson.

(Props: DasGamer)

I’m not a “gamer,” let alone a Gears of War fanatic, so it took me a few viewings to understand what in the hell was happening in this video. But here’s what I’ve gathered: Tomorrow night on Spike, there will be a half-hour special where a quintet of hardcore video game nerds do a little competitive cosplay, with the winner getting a chance to play Gears of War 2 before it’s released in stores. And this is being presented as something that you might want to spend your time watching. Oh, and, UFC heavyweight/TUF 8 coach Frank Mir shows up as a celebrity trainer, though he uses his role mainly to shoot his team in the head and laugh at them.

You know, if Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was brought in as a trainer, he’d probably invite some guest coaches who actually knew a few things about combat strategy, do his best to help his team achieve their goals, then organize a family-style dinner. But hey, different people have different coaching styles. Anyway, the concept’s pretty ‘tarded. Maybe not ‘tarded on the level of what movies would be like if the characters had cell phones, but ‘tarded nonetheless.