Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson appeared to squash their long-running beef backstage at Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event, sharing a lighthearted reunion that was captured on video.
The two former rivals headlined UFC 135 in 2011, with Jones submitting Jackson in the fourth round. The buildup was contentious, with Jackson accusing Jones of planting a spy in his training camp, and the bad blood lingered after the fight when Jackson repeatedly accused Jones of being a lifelong cheater.
Despite that history, the two ran into each other backstage at the Rousey vs. Carano card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and the interaction was notably warm. Jones posted a video on Instagram described as him “apologizing” to Jackson in a humorous exchange.
Jones remains at odds with the UFC following a contract dispute that prevented a fight with Tom Aspinall from happening. He has been publicly critical of UFC CEO Dana White’s decision to exclude him from the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House on June 14.
Jackson retired from MMA in 2019 following a loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237 and has since built a career as host of the JAXXON Podcast.
Jon Jones apologized to Rampage Jackson for cheating after 16 years of beefing 😭
“Yeah I cheat. I poke you in the eyes, kick you in the balls, stomp the knees. My bad, I’m sorry.” pic.twitter.com/CzjkYGKrMB
Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC champion Quinton Jackson, has accepted a plea agreement stemming from the brutal in-ring assault of independent wrestler Stuart Smith during a 2025 wrestling event in Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old entered a no-contest plea to a felony charge of battery causing serious bodily injury after initially pleading not guilty in the case. Prosecutors also stated that Jackson admitted to additional allegations related to violent conduct and personally inflicting major injuries during the attack.
According to reports from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Jackson is expected to receive a 90-day county jail sentence, two years of formal probation, and more than $81,000 in restitution when he is officially sentenced later this month.
Violent Wrestling Incident Led To Criminal Charges
The case originates from a chaotic altercation at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event in August 2025, where Jackson attacked Smith during what was initially supposed to be a scripted wrestling segment.
Video footage from the event showed Jackson slamming Smith before unloading a barrage of punches while the wrestler appeared defenseless on the mat. Witnesses and reports later indicated that Smith absorbed more than 20 unanswered strikes before other wrestlers physically intervened to stop the attack.
New: Raja Jackson, Son of Rampage Jackson, Arrested for Felony After Assaulting Wrestler
Raja Jackson, son of former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was arrested by LAPD on September 19, 2025, facing a felony charge with $50,000 bond after footage showed him assaulting… pic.twitter.com/L38ff3RdWA
Smith was rushed to a hospital and later revealed the extent of his injuries, which included severe jaw trauma, facial fractures, a split upper lip, and the loss of multiple teeth.
The incident reportedly escalated from an earlier confrontation outside the venue. Smith had struck Jackson with a beer can during a promotional interaction, allegedly mistaking him for another wrestler involved in the show. Although footage later showed the two shaking hands afterward, Jackson was reportedly heard on a livestream threatening to get “real” revenge once he entered the ring.
Authorities later issued a warrant for Jackson’s arrest, leading to his eventual detainment at his California residence weeks after the assault.
TMZ has released video of Raja Jackson getting escorted out of his apartment in handcuffs as he was arrested after brutally beating wrestler Syko Stu 👀 pic.twitter.com/zsG9ojsGPp
The situation also drew a public response from his father, Rampage Jackson, who openly criticized his son’s actions at the time and stated that he believed Raja deserved punishment for going too far.
Rampage Jackson showed love to Deen The Great on his latest Kick stream, gifting the Misfits Boxing star a $20,000 Audemars Piguet watch after one of the roughest weeks of Deen’s public life.
“You took four Ls,” Jackson jokingly told Deen on the February 19 stream, a nod to a string of viral altercations that had the internet buzzing. Deen was slapped by powerlifter Larry Wheels over an incident involving Wheels’ wife, then elbowed in the face by ex-UFC fighter Tiki Ghosn at a house party hosted by Jackson, leaving him the subject of widespread ridicule online.
Ghosn, who compiled a 10-8-1 MMA record from 1998 to 2009 fighting the likes of Robbie Lawler and Genki Sudo, serves as Rampage’s longtime manager and also represents Dustin Poirier, Brian Ortega, and Mackenzie Dern.
A resurfaced clip of a failed backflip from Deen’s Misfits Boxing debut in 2022 only added fuel to the fire.
Despite the rough stretch, Deen ended the week on a high note. Following his public apology over the Tiki Ghosn scuffle, Jackson used the moment to publicly thank Deen for introducing him to live streaming on Kick, crediting him with giving him a renewed sense of purpose after retiring from MMA.
UFC needs to offer up bigger financial rewards for exciting fighters, according to a former light heavyweight champion with the promotion.
This was expressed by Rampage Jackson on a recent episode of the Jaxxon podcast. Jackson as well as TJ Dillashaw and Bobby Green were discussing a lot of the big fallout from the recent UFC 321 show.
“Imagine how the fights would change if the bonus was a million. Guys would go all out, not just looking to win but looking to entertain, to put on shows that fans remember forever.”
“It’s about respect for the craft and the risks they take. If the UFC wants to keep the best talent and raise the level of competition, raising the bonuses is the way to do it.”
“Look, the business side has to catch up with the reality of what these fighters do. They deserve the big bucks.”
“These bonus payouts could be life-changing, not just for the fighters but for their families. It’s time the UFC steps up and gives them what they deserve.”
How UFC 321 played into Jackson’s comments above
UFC 321 resonated with many fans as a bit of an underwhelming affair, even outside of the inauspicious outcome to the Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane main event. A lot of MMA fans do have a certain fixation point on striking-heavy affairs, constituting an exciting fight, which means that the promotion’s alst pay-per-view offering was not seen as a satisfying watch.
The card actually set the record for most successful takedowns within a singular UFC event, and the Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Volkov fight seemed to serve as a bit of a microcosm for how many perceived the action from the card.
Jackson mentioned in the embedded video above that he could see the Ultimate Fighting Championship upping the bonuses, but perhaps to a scale of taking it from 50 K to $100,000. The former UFC light heavyweight titleholder notched multiple performance bonuses during his tenure with the promotion years back.
Raja Jackson has been arrested as a result of his beatdown of wrestler Syko Stu during a professional wrestling event held in late August.
Per a report from TMZ, Jackson was taken into custody on the morning of September 18 and faces a felony charge. As of the evening, Jackson is still in jail and is currently being held on $50,000 bond.
Jackson, the son of MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was involved in an incident at a Knokx Pro Wrestling event. During what had been an agreed upon run-in for the show, Jackson came into the ring and slammed wrestler Syko Stu — real name Stuart Smith — with such strength that Stu was legitimately knocked unconscious.
Jackson then proceeded to rain down blows on Smith, landing about two dozen punches before other wrestlers intervened to separate the two. The whole incident was captured on Jackson’s streaming account.
Raja Jackson Jailed Following Syko Stu Incident
The incident came as a result of a miscommunication that occurred that morning, with Smith hitting Jackson after mistaking him for a wrestler who was going to be part of the show.
The two had agreed to work the incident into an angle on the program, although another wrestler during the livestream seemed to encourage Jackson to make sure Smith got a “receipt” for the incident.
Smith spent several days in the hospital with various injuries, at one point being in critical condition, but has since been released.
As a result of the incident, WWE, the UFC’s partner company under the TKO umbrella, cut ties with the Knokx Pro Wrestling promotion, which had been associated with the WWE ID (Independent Development) program.
MMA legend Rampage Jackson has revealed that he isn’t speaking to his son Raja after he assaulted Syko Stu during a pro wrestling show recently.
As we know, Rampage Jackson has always been a popular figure throughout the course of his time in mixed martial arts. Now, however, he’s been embroiled in a whole new kind of controversy in the wake of his son attacking a wrestler at an independent show. Initially, it seemed as if it may be part of the entertainment, but it quickly became clear that this wasn’t the case.
Ever since then, Rampage Jackson has been fielding questions across podcasts, interviews and social media. The response has been pretty much the same throughout, with Rampage noting his disappointment in the actions of his son Raja.
In a recent interview, Rampage Jackson had the following to say about his current relationship with Raja.
Rampage Jackson slams his son Raja’s actions
“I got death threats. People driving by my house slow. I don’t know these people. I don’t trust them. Raja dishonored my name and put my whole family in harm’s way. I’m from Memphis. I don’t put nothing past racist people. They got a lot of hatred and they used this as a reason to be hateful.”
“I don’t talk to Raja no more. I talked to him. I heard his story. I learned a lot about it. I’m mad at him. He’s my son, but ever since he became an adult, he don’t listen to what I say.”
Fight fans won’t see the boxing match between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson after all. It was slated to take place on April 12, but now the fight looks unlikely.
In an Instagram post, Evans claimed the “boxing showdown” between the two former UFC light heavyweight champions next week at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M., is not going to happen. The fight had been announced in mid-February.
In the video, Evans kept things vague and said, “There were contractual obligations not met, so we had to make this difficult decision to pull the fight.” Evans added that the decision was made to “let the lawyers handle it” and said he hoped the fight would be rescheduled.
“I’m disappointed to announce the fight between @rampagejackson will NOT take place April 12th in Albuquerque at the PIT. There were contractual obligations not met so we had to make this difficult decision to pull the fight. However we do remain hopeful that this fight can happen at a later date. Sorry to you fight fans, we were really excited to put on a show. Thank you all for the support!”
The clash was to reignite a feud that reached its zenith during their coaching stint on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The first fight between Evans and Jackson took place in the main event of UFC 114 in Las Vegas, where Evans emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
Evans’s most recent in-ring appearance was in January 2022, where he secured another unanimous decision win against Gabriel Checco at Eagle FC 44. On the flip side, Jackson last competed in December 2019, suffering a knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237.
A recent episode of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s JAXXON Podcast, has sparked a heated feud between the veteran and UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith.
The controversy began when Jackson and guest TJ Dillashaw discussed Kevin Holland’s career trajectory, with the latter stating that Holland’s lack of discipline will prevent him from ever becoming a champion.
Smith, who co-hosts the On Paper podcast, took issue with the episode — but not because of Dillashaw’s comments about Holland. Instead, his criticism stemmed from Jackson’s recent interview with controversial UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell. That episode was later removed from the podcast’s YouTube channel after Mitchell made pro-Nazi remarks.
However, Smith went beyond that specific interview, accusing the hosts of repeatedly disrespecting fighters, potentially jeopardizing their ability to book future guests.
“You bring fighters on, you sh*t on them — it happened to me,” Smith said. “You brought me on, you were super cool to me. I had a good time. I love Rampage, he’s my favorite fighter, I’ve said that for years. You’ve heard me say that a hundred times — Rampage is my favorite fighter. You bring me on, I have an amazing time, and several months later, you’re on there with Dillashaw f*cking making fun of me.
“That’s what they do, that’s their thing. Honestly, it’s less Rampage — he’s just kind of the funny ‘ha ha’ guy, and he just laughs about stuff. They’re just not great to fighters, they make fun of a lot of people. They did the same shIt to Ian Garry when he was supposed to go on the show, and then they spent the show before that calling him a cuck. Whether you think Ian Garry’s a cuck or not, you can’t bring the motherf*cker on the show the next episode after calling him a cuck and making fun of his family dynamic or him and his wife and his kids… I don’t agree with that.”
Jackson Fires Back
Smith’s comments didn’t sit well with Jackson, who responded with an explosive rant on his YouTube channel. The former UFC champion was visibly angry, going so far as to threaten “Lionheart” with a physical confrontation.
“I love doing this podcast. This podcast got me back into MMA, and I’ve met a lot of fighters since I started doing this f*cking podcast,” Jackson said. “I saw this f*cking post that Anthony Smith did, I saw it this morning, f*cking pissed me off. When TJ sat right motherf*cking here and said you’ll never be champion and said that you f*cking gave up, Bear and I f*cking had your back. That’s why we were saying, ‘Lionheart,’ with a f*cking nickname like Lionheart? Not ‘Lying Heart.’”
Jackson claimed that he reached out privately to Smith via direct message to clarify that he wasn’t mocking him, but Smith ignored the message.
“I DM’d you. I looked at it, and I could see how you could think that I was making fun of you, too. So I DM’d you. I f*cking said to you in the DM, ‘Look here, I wasn’t making fun of you.’ Because I could have made fun of you,” Jackson continued. “Fighters, we make fun of each other. Yeah, I’m a comedian pretending to be a motherf*cking fighter, but the problem is motherf*cker, I really can fight. I hope I calm down before I see you, because motherf*ckers like you get b*tch-smacked for real.”
Jackson also pointed out that he refrained from mocking Smith’s knockout loss to Khalil Rountree in December 2023 despite having the opportunity to do so. He compared it to his own career, which ended with a brutal TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko in 2019.
“I’m telling y’all, b*tch-ass motherf*ckers, soft-ass motherf*ckers out there, y’all need to chill the f*ck out and quit being little b*tches,” Jackson said. “Yeah, T.J. shouldn’t say somebody shouldn’t be a f*cking champion, but that’s TJ, and I respect him for that. He’s standing on business. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it in his motherf*cking weight class. Some of you guys are just bitches.
“This sh*t got me pissed off. I’m going to tell you — tell that Anthony Smith motherf*cker, call that motherf*cker up, tell him to keep my motherf*cking name out of his motherf*cking mouth. If I see his b*tch ass, I’m going to smack the f*ck out of him.”
With tensions at an all-time high, it remains to be seen whether this feud will escalate further or if cooler heads will prevail.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson remains one of the most iconic fighters in MMA history, known for his tenacity, charisma, and unforgettable performances in promotions like PRIDE FC, UFC and Bellator.
During his illustrious career, Jackson achieved notable accolades, including winning the PRIDE middleweight championship and the UFC light heavyweight title.
“Rampage” rose to stardom in Japan during his tenure with PRIDE, captivating fans with his dynamic fighting style and larger-than-life personality. After leaving the UFC in 2015 with a decision victory over Fábio Maldonado, he transitioned full-time to Bellator.
His career concluded on a difficult note, going 1-3 in his last four bouts, with his final fight being a TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko in 2019.
Recently, Jackson reflected on his career during the JAXXON Podcast, offering candid insights into the mistakes he made along the way.
“(Bryan) Battle, don’t get complacent with the scales. Always push yourself harder even if you outgrow your teammates and coaches — don’t feel bad. I’m going to tell you something, with your personality and your skills, you can be a big star in the UFC, and there’s not that many stars. It could be your time soon, right? So make sure you train really hard; I’m talking about taking it super serious.
“I don’t care if your friends tell you, ‘Oh, you think you’re this.’ F* that. You’ve got to be selfish for a little while because Father Time is undefeated, and it’s going to be a short window. I’m telling you, keep honing in on your skills. Don’t get complacent, because that happens to the best of us. It happened to me. I was like, ‘My s*** don’t stink,’ and I stopped training as hard. I did. I was a big star, and I stopped training as hard like, ‘F*** it.’ Bro, you could be a big star.”
Jackson’s reflections highlight the importance of consistent dedication and self-discipline in a fighter’s career, offering valuable lessons for the next generation of MMA athletes.
Lists are always going to create discussion in regards to which options should or shouldn’t have made it onto the final version. This is no different with ESPN’s Top 10 men’s MMA fighters of the 21st century list.
Unsurprisingly, the current UFC heavyweight champion and consensus greatest of all time, Jon Jones, takes the top spot with the usual cast following behind him. Welterweight great Georges St-Pierre is the runner-up with the long-time champion of the weight class above him, Anderson Silva, rounding out the top three.
Dominant champions Demetrious Johnson and Khabib Nurmagomedov make up the top five whilst Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn and Kamaru Usman complete the full list.
On a recent episode of the Jaxxon Podcast, two men who are in a great position to debate the list did just that as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Liddell spoke about who could have earned a spot that ultimately didn’t.
Jackson, perhaps controversially, said that he isn’t sure whether the number five pick had enough fights at the highest level to be considered, especially when someone like Matt Hughes didn’t make the cut.
“Nothing against Khabib, I just don’t think he fought enough fights. To be on there and to not have Matt Hughes on there, you know what I’m saying cus he was champion for a long time.”
Liddell, who did make the cut, responded by agreeing with his former opponent’s take that Hughes deserves a mention. He also named one other great champion that would have undoubtedly been in contention, even if some of his best work was done before he arrived in the UFC.
“If you look at the strength of opponents, you know. There’s some other guys in there, José Aldo. A beast man, for years. Those lists are lists man and all those guys are quality guys. It’s tough really.”
A video posted on social media showed of a recent confrontation between a streamer named Ac7ionman and the CEO of F3 Energy, Harrison Rogers, that went viral.
What starts as some kind of dispute over a contract and potential legal case escalates when Ac7ionman repeatedly makes fun of Rogers and claims that he’s going to sue him for putting his hands on him, with video evidence.
Things immediately take a turn once, of all people, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson exits the bathroom to see what all the fuss is about.
Ac7ionman then leaves the room double quick whilst Jackson attempts to understand what just happened.
“Who was that? I’m trying to take the hardest s*** of my life, I hear some m*********** come on, look at me, I’m sweating my a** off.”
The streamer then returns to the room, continuing to shout and scream about the lawsuit that he’s going to file, only for ‘Rampage’ to walk towards him, usher him back out of the room and close the door on him after getting a few insults of his own in.
“God damn, dude’s annoying as f***”
Ac7ionman gets into a HEATED argument with ‘F3 Energy’ CEO then gets PRESSED by Rampage Jackson..‼️
Fans React After ‘Rampage’ Jackson Puts A Swift End To Viral Beef With His Presence
The combat sports world has had an interesting relationship with streamers and the way that they conduct themselves.
On this occasion, the fans on social media were happy to see how suddenly, this somewhat awkward and cringe-inducing exchange was ended by the emergence of ‘Rampage’, who was able to escort Ac7ionman out of the way without doing anything.
“Legalize beating the shit outta live streamers”
Legalize beating the shit outta live streamers 🫡😤🙏👊
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 10, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Pimblett has a special request ahead of June 27
‘Rampage’ vs Rashad Evans could potentially box in ONE Championship
Ankalaev resumes pursuit of Pereira
Paddy Pimblett Requests Signature Orange Shorts For His UFC 304 Return
In recent times, certain high profile UFC fighters have been granted custom shorts from Venum that they helped design.
The likes of Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Zhang Weili, Dustin Poirier and Alex Pereira have all stepped inside the Octagon with their own distinct looks.
Paddy Pimblett is hoping that he will be able to add his name to this list when he returns at UFC 304 later this month.
During his days in Cage Warriors, before he signed to the UFC, Pimblett was known for competing in bright orange shorts – which he wants to bring back in front of the UK fans.
‘Rampage’ Jackson Says Boxing Clash With Rashad Evans Is Being Spoken About For Later This Year
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has had to wait a long time to make his debut in boxing due to the saga with Shannon Briggs that never led anywhere.
Now, he has changed his focus and could be set to square off with one of his greatest rivals once again.
Jackson and Rashad Evans fought back at UFC 114 where Evans won via a unanimous decision following one of the most memorable seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.
“Rampage” recently stated during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that he could be set to box Evans, with ONE Championship potentially hosting the contest at their event (ONE 169) in Atlanta on November 8.
“He’s still trying, but I lost my faith in Shannon [Briggs],” Jackson said. “I don’t know if he’s going to get it done. He talks a good game. I hope he get it done. If he ever gets it done, I’ll be game to fight him, but right now, I guess my first boxing match is going to be against Rashad. I need to get that win back.”
Magomed Ankalaev Continues To Call Out Alex Pereira Following UFC 303
Magomed Ankalaev has been as vocal as ever following the UFC light heavyweight title fight that took place at UFC 303 on June 29.
After missing out on the title shot with the champion Alex Pereira instead facing Jiří Procházka in a rematch, Ankalaev believes that he is the next in line.
His latest post spoke about why this fight needs to happen next, reaffirming that he will stop Pereira once they meet inside the Octagon.
“@AlexPereiraUFC kept away from me for a reason, and I do understand this is business @ufc best fight the best and he is the best for now I will keep my (word),” Ankalaev wrote on X. “I will knock him out. @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite nothing better than you’ve seen an event somebody going to sleep”
@AlexPereiraUFC kept away from me for a reason, and I do understand this is business @ufc best fight the best and he is the best for now I will keep my work. I will knock him out. @Mickmaynard2@danawhite nothing better than you’ve seen an event somebody going to sleep
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) July 9, 2024
