UFC has right to match any offer for Rampage

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson finished out his UFC contract last night at UFC on FOX 6 in Chicago and is now a free agent.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson (32-11) was defeated by Glover Teixeira in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 6 by unanimous decision and his future is unknown at this point.

Prior to the UFC on FOX 6 Post Fight Press Conference, Jackson had a very brief conversation with UFC President Dana White.

“Your going to miss me,” Jackson said. White responded to the former UFC champion that he is already missed.

During the UFC on FOX 6 post fight show on FUEL TV, Ariel Helwani asked White about the future of Jackson. One of the questions that Helwani asked was whether the UFC has the right to match any offer that Jackson receives and White said they do have the right to match.

“Rampage has said he doesn’t want to be in our business,” White said. “He needs to work with people who make him happy. We’ve done everything in our power. I talked about the number that we’ve given him the other day, but not the cars. If someone else can pay him what we do, good. I do have the right to match.”

The right to match a contract in mixed martial arts is nothing new as this has been a topic of conversation lately with Bellator MMA lightweight Eddie Alvarez. The UFC made a contract offer to him and Bellator matched the contract, but the Alvarez camp feels Bellator has not matched the contract and the issue will be decided in a court room.

Jackson will go through the same thing that Alvarez went through a couple of months ago. He will have the ability to talk to anyone, but his representatives will have to turn over an offer he receives and the UFC can match the contract or decide to let him go.

He was also on the post fight show on FUEL TV, and Jackson does plan to continue to fight but he has to do some re-evaluating at this point in his career.

“I’ll fight again,” Jackson said. “It’s not my last fight. I might try some boxing and see how well I do. It’s still in my heart, I just have to see. I just have a lot of re-evaluating to do.”