Rampage wants to make motor-boating contests, but fighting comes first
In Sept. 2009, Jackson requested that the UFC delay his TUF 10 capping fight with Rashad Evans, because it conflicted…
In Sept. 2009, Jackson requested that the UFC delay his TUF 10 capping fight with Rashad Evans, because it conflicted with the production of his new “A-Team” gig. But with the date and carefully-selected venue already set, and its belief that Jackson was a fighter first, actor second, the UFC wouldn’t budge.
The stand off quickly erupted publicly after Jackson decided to withdraw from the fight. UFC President Dana White was irate, telling reporters that he felt Jackson “f—– me … screwed up the rest of our year” and admitted that they were “not even talking.”
Jackson — who had already competed 37 times in a career that spanned more than a decade — declared he was “done fighting” and “hanging it up.”
Jackson went on to make the movie, announced his intentions to return to MMA just three months after his premature retirement, fought (and lost to) Evans in May of 2010 and his since kissed and made up (again) with White.
However, with a rumored role as Luke Cage in the offing, fans want to know if Rampage is putting a potential acting career over his current fighting career?
“What does [being in movies] gotta do with not being determined to whoop somebody’s ass?,” Rampage explained. “I got a whole bunch of movies coming up, but they ain’t got nothing to do with my day job. I turned down a bunch of movies to fight. There was a lot of movies I was supposed to be in, I can name ’em off but I said no. I did Ultimate Fighters and I did fights and stuff like that. This is my day job. This is what pays my bills. This is what puts my kids through college and stuff like that.”
“Just because I want to have a career after I get done fighting, nobody should think I’m not determined and not have passion.
“But yeah, I got lots of things I want to do. I wanna design video games, a whole lot of things. I want to make motor-boating contests. There’s a lot of stuff I wanna design and I wanna do. After I get done fighting, I’m gonna go and pursue other things, but don’t hate on me because I want to have a career after MMA.”