Rampage Jackson Considering Boxing After UFC Contract Expires

UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is considering a move to professional boxing once his UFC contract is up, according to ESPN UK:

"I hate fighting people who are scared," Jackson told the ESPN UFC Podcast. "When you fight somebody who is scared you never know what they're going to do. They turn and run.

"That's why I'm gonna go to boxing. I'm gonna try boxing because they've got to stand with you. If I get knocked out I don't care because at least it's a fight.

"I've tried a lot of boxing, I'm falling in love with boxing and I know I can put butts on seats over there."

Jackson, 33, has been a star in mixed martial arts for years, and is without a question one of its most charismatic fighters in the short history of the sport. I have to assume his move to boxing would, indeed, draw legitimate attention, but as we know, coming into pro boxing isn't just a "hey, I'm here, give me a fight with a top guy" sort of deal.

Also, Jackson is a 205-pound fighter in mixed martial arts, and given his age it would be unlikely he'd be able to cut down to cruiserweight, where there's no U.S. market, and that means he'd have to fight as a heavyweight. At 6'1" with a 73" reach, he'd be undersized and probably underpowered.

I think Rampage would actually consider it if there was big money in it somewhere, but my skepticism comes from the fact that he's got an unfortunate physical build to become a boxing star, even if he were actually good at it.

Jackson is coming off of a bad loss to Jon Jones at UFC 135 on September 24.