Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson wins comeback fight at UFC 186 over Fabio Maldonado
"I'm back!"
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was amped up after a unanimous decision win over Fabio Maldonado in the co-main event of UFC 186. Not only did Jackson manage to out-slug the tough Brazilian and win with scores of 29-28, and 30-27 after three furious rounds, he also survived a stressful few months, weeks and days leading up to his UFC comeback, filled with legal false starts.
"You guys don't even know how stressful it was," he admitted, afterwards.
"Some haters were trying to stop me from fighting in the UFC ... UFC is the best organization in the world. I tested it."
Jackson also tested Maldonado's chin for fifteen minutes. Despite hitting him with blows from every angle, Maldonado just asked for more.
"That guy has a chin of steel," Jackson said of Maldonado.
"I hit him with everything but the kitchen sink."
Maldonado invited Jackson to get off on him early and strike first, and paid for it. After stalking and feinting for the better part of a minute, Jackson scored a punch combo to the head, finished by a nice downward leg kick to the Brazilian's lead peg. Maldonado's early attack mostly consisted of ducking his head and swinging wide hooks.
Within minutes, Jackson showed himself to be crisper, more aggressive and more varied in his attack than he had in years, using not just hooks but jabs, kicks and light footing. Against the cage with under two minutes left, Jackson unloaded another punch combination on Maldonado.
Despite being pressed against the Octagon fence, the "Iron Hillbilly" managed to land a short overhand right that thudded on the back of Jackson's head. Back in the center of the cage with seconds left, Maldonado taunted Jackson, then landed an accidental eye poke.
He apologized, Jackson nodded, and the two once more clashed with strikes, without a full second having gone by. A left hook from Maldonado ended the first period.
At the start of the second, Maldonado rushed Jackson and pressed him against the fence, looking to work in the inside. Maldonado secured good head position and landed one left hook before the former champ could get free and land a cross, and then miss with a leaping left hook.
Maldonado once more pressed Jackson against the cage, and went to work with punches to the body. An uppercut and a few steps to the left got Jackson free. An excellent five-punch combo to the body and head from Jackson stunned Maldonado before the Brazilian got back on the inside and returned fire with his own body-shot combo.
Maldonado landed a straight to the body and then ate two jabs to his face before again pressing "Rampage" against the cage. The fans booed the tactic against their favorite Jackson, but Maldonado continued to use it to get the most success he'd had all fight, with body punches.
Jackson landed a gut shot off of a triple jab to the face and then circled away from Maldonado. With under a minute left, Jackson connected with a series of serious uppercuts to the chin of the Brazilian.
Sensing an opportunity to go for the finish, Jackson pressed Maldonado but was taken down for his effort with 10 seconds left. Jackson shot several vertical, "12-6" elbows from on his back. Maldonado postured up but did not get off any strikes of his own before the horn sounded.
To start the third, Maldonado pumped his jab out, sharply, but Jackson used deft head movement to avoid any contact. As the round continued, Jackson's pace slowed slightly from the previous two rounds, but he still managed to connect the most, including with uppercuts and elbows to the face and a knee to the stomach.
Maldonado still struck hard, late, with left hooks, before taunting Jackson to hit him more. The horn sounded and after some staring, the two hugged it out and shared smiles.
With the win, Jackson's record improved to 36-11, and Maldonado's fell to 22-8.