The Fighting Photographer talks to the mighty Quinton Rampage JacksonAt the end of another heavy duty workout at the Wolfslair Gym, Quinton Rampage Jackson kindly took time out of his training schedule to sit down and shoot the breeze with the one and only Fighting Photographer…………..
CF: How do you feel after your training session?
QJ: I feel real good man, I’m peaking right now and my weight is good and everything is going according to plan.
CF: Is this your second time back in the UK?
QJ: Actually it’s my third time Carl to be honest; the first time I came here to Widnes with Dean Lister and then I went to Belfast and over to London.
CF: How long are you here for?
QJ: I’m here for almost a month; I’m here training with Mike and the guys getting ready for UFC 75 and after that chilling in Ibiza. Ibiza (laughs and gives me a crazy wild eyed look). I like to give myself a vacation after each fight win, lose or draw, as your body needs a rest. I’ll be there on the beach chilling you know, I don’t drink or do drugs, so I’ll be there looking at the pretty ladies and kicking back on the beach and get in the water. Never been before, looking forward to it Carl.
CF: How was your training at Big Bear Mountain?
QJ: It was hell Carl, I hated it, but you gotta do it; I was there with Mike Bisping and Cheik Kongo, Brandon Vera came up as well and a bunch of other guys like Dave Roberts, my training partners and coaches, they worked me real hard.
CF: How are the guys working you here in the Wolfslair?
QJ: They’re doing a really good job, I love this place, it’s a nice place, a lot of guys to train with, a great atmosphere.
CF: How did your friendship with Mike Bisping come about?
QJ: Last time we came to the UK we were meant to do a seminar, but some wanker ran off with all the money and screwed everybody over and at the last minute Mike managed to arrange a seminar here at the gym. It was a good turn out considering it was on one day’s notice and from there we went and hung out and we started to laugh and joke around and we decided we should train together. Any chance I can get I like to train with Mike and hope I can come here again more often and train and get Mike out to the States as well.
CF: What are your thoughts on Mike as an upcoming UFC fighter?
QJ: He has the potential to get to the top, I think he trains a little too hard, that’s my opinion, I may be wrong here, I’m not always right; maybe he’s like that as he’s new to the sport maybe he’ll learn it later, sometimes people over train, maybe his body can take it, everybody is different, my body doesn’t allow me to train that way.
CF: Dan Henderson. Is he one of your biggest opponents?
QJ: He’s not my biggest but he’s the toughest (laughs)
CF: You confident Quinton?
QJ: Very confident, every time I step into the cage I have to be confident, confidence is the key Carl. I hope to knock him out on the night, he’s never been knocked out before, that would be good on my resume (laughs).
CF: Who would you like to thank in preparation for this fight?
QJ: I would like to thank God, without him I can do nothing, he’s the one that gave me the skills to fight and has stood by me throughout my life, the one who spared me throughout my childhood, a lot of my friends didn’t make it on the streets. I just want to give all my thanks to God and I love him a lot, even when I feel like I don’t show it.
CF: Thanks for your time and best of luck.
QJ: Thank you Carl, a pleasure to meet you.