Rampage Jackson calls out White and Evans
Thanks to Corey Santiago for the following:
Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has called out UFC President, Dana White on why the fight with with Rashad Evans didn’t happen in March last year when he was first approached about it, going on to explain that it was Evans that turned it down.
Speaking during the pre-fight press conference call, "Rampage" asked Dana:
“When you called me right after the (expletive) Wanderlei (Silva) fight, and you asked me to fight Rashad, what did I say? I said yes. So you called me back and said what afterwards? When I ended up fighting Jardine, what did you say? You said that Rashad didn’t take the fight because he wanted to keep his belt longer.”
“The first time you called me I said I didn’t want to fight because it was right after my other fight, but then you pushed me and I said ‘Aw, you hyped me up, I’m doing push-ups right here in the parking lot’. You said alright and then you called Rashad and he turned it down. It was right after his fight with Forrest (Griffin).”
Rashad Evans then took over and gave his thoughts saying:
“I had a baby in November (2008) and I was in training camp then and didn’t get to see him, that’s why I said no to March. Are you sure you want to fight? You mean like the last time you wanted to fight? Or are you going to call Dana next week and tell him you can’t fight?”
“You didn’t take the fight either, so now we’re even then, right? I didn’t turn down the fight. But let me tell you something, if the fight was in my hometown, I would have never turned down that fight, that’s all I’m saying. But that’s you, so don’t worry about it.”
The trash talking will most likely keep going until these two former champions come to blow on May 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 114. Dana White has said that the winner of the fight will go on to fight the newly crowned UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
