CHUCK LIDDELL AND TITO ORTIZ TO COACH SEASON 11 OF THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®

A fighter’s confidence is a highly prized asset to any successful champion, but it can become a downfall if you don’t give your opponent his due. That was the case Saturday night at UFC 86 when Quinton Jackson didn’t give enough credit to his opponent Forrest Griffin. “I didn’t think Forrest could hang with me and I said, “If Forrest gets past the third round he’ll gain my respect”, and I respect him”, commented Rampage after the bout. “And if I fight him again I’m going to respect the hell out of him with my right hand..I’m going to try it again”, he added with laughter.

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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s trainer, Juanito Ibarra, stated he’ll retire if Forrest Griffin defeats Jackson. Although Griffin won the battle, in Ibarra’s mind Griffin didn’t beat Jackson. You can hear Ibarra telling Jackson in his dressing room in this video, “He didn’t beat you” a couple of times.

I didn’t think Forrest could hang with me and I said, “If Forrest gets past the third round he’ll gain my respect”, and I respect him. And if I fight him again I’m going to respect the hell out of him with my right hand. (laughs) I’m going to try it again. (laughs)

“I didn’t think the time off would affect me but it did”, commented Quinton Jackson last night in defeat to Forrest Griffin. But actually both fighters haven’t fought since September 2007, Rampage at UFC 75 on September 8 and Forrest at UFC 76 on September 22.

Round 1. Rampage 10-9

Round 2. Forrest 10-8

Round 3. Rampage 10-9

Round 3. Rampage 10-9

Round 5. Forrest 10-9

Final Score: 47-47

Forrest Griffin was ahead on all 3 judges score cards after 5 rounds of action with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last night. Griffin wins the UFC light heavyweight title in a close unanimous decision victory.

Forrest Griffin (205) VS Quinton Jackson (205)

Ricardo Almeida (185) VS Patrick Cote (185)

Chris Lytle (170) VS Josh Koscheck (170)

Marcus Aurelio (155) VS Tyson Griffin (155)

Gleison Tibau (156) VS Joe Stevenson (155)

Justin McCully (236) VS Gabriel Gonzaga (249)

Cole Miller (155) VS Jorge Gurgel (155)

Dennis Siver (155) VS Melvin Guillard (155)

Justin Buchholz (155) VS Corey Hill (155)

“He’s come full circle, as a person, mainly as a person. I think that really counts as an athlete. You’ve got to be mentally stable, you’ve got to want to do something to get better and believe me, it’s like his ability was in a box. He was fighting just out of rawness, anger maybe. Now he understands that he has a gift. He’s actually an athlete and he’s starting to understand his body more. I think he’s come a long way.”

Both Ricardo Almeida and Patrick Cote have laid it all on the line for what they’re going to do Saturday night at UFC 86. Almeida is looking to hit the mat, Cote wants it on the feet. “It’s no secret for anybody I want to keep this fight on my feet, and sprawl and brawl all night and knock him out,” says Cote. “Almeida is no joke, he’s a really really tough opponent, a world-class jiu-jitsu guy, But you know it’s not a jiu-jitsu fight, it’s an MMA fight.”

“Will Forrest be in better shape? Probably for a track meet. But when it comes to an MMA fight, you can only run so far in the cage.”

–Zach Light, a former UFC vet, and one of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s trainers for UFC 86