Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will look to end a two-fight losing skid when he faces Brazilian standout Glover Teixeira at UFC 153 on October 13th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFC officials confirmed plans for the bout today after an initial report from Globo.
Jackson sports a 4-3 record inside the Octagon since losing his UFC title to Forrest Griffin in July 2008 and recent disagreements between Jackson and UFC management have left his future with the promotion in doubt. Teixeira made a successful UFC debut by destroying Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146.
Jackson (32-10-0) has faced nearly all of the sport’s best light heavyweight fighters during his storied career. His run of three straight Octagon victories in 2007 earned him both the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and also the PRIDE Middleweight Championship. As the sport’s first unified 205-pound champion in history, Jackson appeared poised for a lengthy tenure atop the division, but he was upset by Griffin in a hotly-contested bout at UFC 86. Since then, problems inside and outside of the cage have left some questioning Jackson’s motivation. He has scored notable wins over rival Wanderlei Silva and fellow ex-champion Lyoto Machida in recent years, but is now coming off of consecutive setbacks against current champ Jon Jones and Ryan Bader. Jackson uncharacteristically missed weight for the February fight with Bader and stated after the loss that his next fight will be his last in the UFC.
Teixeira (18-2-0) was long considered to be one of the top free agents in the light heavyweight division, but visa problems kept him out of the UFC for well over two years. He made his long-awaited Octagon debut in May after winning 15 straight fights; a stretch that included key victories over UFC veterans Antonio Mendes and Marvin Eastman, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez. At UFC 146, Teixeira demolished American Kickboxing Academy product Kyle Kingsbury en route to a dominant first-round submission win. He was then expected to face fellow Brazilian Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, but Rua instead opted to face Brandon Vera in August. Teixeira instead battles another former champ in Jackson and will take a big step towards UFC title contention if he can get past the veteran.
UFC 153 takes place on October 13th at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)