Please understand, there is a significant difference between being crazy and being stupid. Quinton Jackson has shown elements of being somewhat crazy in the past, but he always seemed to back that up with some intelligence. That was up until now. Rampage is both certifiably insane and uncharacteristically stupid to agree to a fight with Lyoto Machida. Styles make fights, and stylistically, this is a really, really bad match-up for Quinton.
MMAth aside, nothing about this fight makes sense for Jackson. Their one common recent opponent is Rashad Evans. Lyoto completely destroyed him, while Rampage lost an ugly, boring decision, one in which he never mounted the slightest bit of offense, except for a little GnP late in the fight after Rashad slipped and ended up on his back. Speed was the determining factor in that fight and speed will be the determining factor in the fight with Machida. In case you didn't know, SPEED KILLS! Comparing Lyoto's speed to Quinton's is like comparing a Corvette to a Hummer. Lyoto whips by without you even seeing him. Rampage slowly passes you by, smilin' and wavin' in the process, eagerly hoping you notice him. Quinton will look like he's in quicksand compared to Lyoto looking like he's ice skating. Rashad is fast, Machida is faster. Again, let me remind you, SPEED KILLS!
Rampage has slowly but surely morphed from a brawler/wrestler, who used to use dynamic slams, into basically a one dimensional boxer competing in a sport he hasn't evolved with. We can blame Juanito Ibarra for some of that, but the trainers at Wolfslair have done absolutely nothing to change that reality. In fact, I think they've taken what Juanito has ingrained in Quinton and accentuated the worst aspects of it. Q used to throw combinations, now he just seems to throw 1-2's, and ocassionally a 3, hoping that something lands. That might work against "sit-in-the-pocket" type strikers like Chuck and Wanderlei, but against a fighter with the speed and footwork of Machida, its just not going to be effective. I still can't quite understand why Quinton started training with Wolfslair in the first place. They offer nothing as far as helping him become a more well rounded fighter. And its a 6000 mile trek from his home! Whatever, that's his choice of a team to train with and represent. The results are what they are, non-existant! He's the same as he ever was, just not as dynamic.
The one area of the fight game that most people would assume Rampage has an edge in is wrestling. I don't see that. Lyoto has very underrated wrestling skills as well as deceptive strength. His time spent training sumo seems to have paid huge dividends. His hip strength and understanding of leverage are off the charts. The guy is almost impossible to take down. In contrast, when he wants the fight to go to the mat, it almost always does, as evidenced by how easily he's taken down Tito, Thiago, Soko, Rashad and Shogun. If this fight goes to the mat it will be because Lyoto wanted it to, not the other way around.
One of Rampage's biggest problems as of late has been dealing with low kicks. We've all seen how well Wolfslair has addressed and fixed that problem (wink-wink)! Lyoto will work Quinton's legs early in the fight, taking away the little bit of explosiveness he entered the cage with. After that, Machida will basically use and abuse Page like an old, worn out heavy bag. Q will basically be an immobile target out there for Lyoto to tag at will with whatever the hell he wants. This could get real ugly for Quinton. Once his legs are gone, so will his already suspect cardio. The pace Machida will set from the opening bell will be way too quick for Page to hang with. If he was in "the best shape of his life" when fighting Rashad, as he said he was, he better figure out how to top that, and quickly.
Rampage is a very solid, proven MMA fighter with an impressive 30-8 record. He's fought some of the best fighters in the world, has a tough chin and the heart of a lion. He deserves serious props just for taking this very dangerous fight. Deep down, he's got to know this is a horrible match-up for him. Word on the street is he's already turned down a fight with Machida in the past. I wonder why? What has changed since then? By the way, Page is far from the only fighter to "avoid" fighting Lyoto. Most recently, Rashad did everything possible to avoid a second beatdown from the Dragon. Quinton will be getting a highly motivated Machida, who is coming off the first loss of his career. Maybe he thinks that's to his advantage. Sorry, Q, it will be just the opposite. Machida is going to be on the warpath, looking to prove himself and get back in contention for that strap that he briefly held. Interestingly, both Jackson's and Machida's contracts were acquired by Zuffa when they purchased the World Fighting Alliance. Here it is, four years later and they are finally meeting in the Octagon.
The question still remains; has the game passed Rampage by? His mix of wrestling, boxing and brawling has mostly served him well, but its the year 2010, not 2005. The best fighters have complete games, and are ready for any situation. That doesn't seem to be the case with Quinton anymore. At 32 years of age, he should realistically have at least 6 or more years of fighting left. IF he really WANTS to. Given the lack of evolution in his game, that might not be the case. Lyoto might very well extinguish what little bit of fire for fighting he has left in his belly. Speaking of his belly, it seems to be expanding more and more between fights. We'll have to see if Rampage wants to do what is required to continue to compete with the top fighters in the world. He's lost 2 of his last 4 fights. Losing 3 of his last 5 would be a first for him and most likely a career changing moment. All indications point to him leaning towards an easier day gig. This fight might be the one that shows Rampage that he just doesn't have "it" anymore. "It" isn't something that can be taught. Either you have "it" or you don't.
Does Rampage still have "it"?!?
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