Former UFC champ Rampage Jackson in Vancouver, set to star in new A-Team movie as BA Baracus
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship world light heavyweight champion Quinton (Rampage) Jackson is in Vancouver to star as BA Baracus in an upcoming movie version of The A-Team.
Jackson has been removed from the UFC 107 card where he was set to face Sugar Rashad Evans in an Ultimate Fighter finale showdown, so he can appear in the film. He was spotted on Robson Street Friday afternoon, signing autographs for fans.
A Twitter user by the name @Reex posted an eyewitness update on the service Friday, saying, “Someone asked Rampage Jackson for an autograph and didn’t have a pen — I was scared for him.”
Rampage will take the role played by Mr T in the 80’s TV series. The character of BA Baracus made Mr T famous, and his “I pity da fool” line became a pop culture landmark.
Jackson will star as a coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike TV starting September 19, in which he and Sugar Rashad Evans coach opposing teams of heavyweight MMA wannabes, including former NFL football players and YouTube internet streetfighter Kimbo Slice.
But the movie role will take a toll on Jackson’s UFC career, with his main event at UFC 107 rumoured to have been switched to a BJ Penn/Diego Sanchez lightweight title fight. The previously announced Evans/Jackson Ultimate fighter finale will be pushed back accordingly.
The Sun has learned Rampage was in Vancouver on August 19 to discuss the role with producers and arrived in town Friday to prepare for filming.
UFC President Dana White told reporters ahead of UFC 102 last week in Portland Oregon that he “hated” it when fighters decided to branch out into film careers.
“Guess what Rashad Evans is thinking about right now, White said. He’s thinking about beating your f**king ass. He’s not sitting around thinking about how him and his mom used to watch the f**king Love Boat together and he wants to get the role of Isaac the bartender.’
Jackson will be in Vancouver shooting the film for the next six weeks.
