Rampage Jackson Not Looking Forward to Fight With Chael Sonnen

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson said he’s not looking forward to a potential fight with Chael Sonnen as part of Bellator’s upcoming heavyweight tournament. Jackson’s first-round opponent hasn’t been named, but the tournament also features Sonnen, Fedor Emelianenko, Ryan Bader, “King Mo” Lawal, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir and Matt Mitrione. Here are highlights:

On a possible fight with Sonnen: “I told my manager that I’m not looking forward to fight Chael Sonnen. I just fought a leg-humping wrestler. Why would I want to fight another fighter who is strictly known for wrestling?”

On wanting a stand-up fighter: “Why would Bellator want to me against another wrestler right off the bat?
Honestly, I would say that wouldn’t be a matchup I’d be looking forward to, and I would be upset coming into the Bellator contract fresh off the bat and them giving me a wrestler to be honest. Who wants to see me fight another wrestler, why wouldn’t a promoter have a guy like me who loves to stand and bang and have exciting fights, why would a promoter constantly want to keep putting me with wrestlers?”

On a possible fight with Fedor: “Fedor is my favorite fighter of all time. Fedor is my favorite fighter, so that would be an awkward matchup if i had to fight him, fighting your favorite fighter of all-time. A tournament is a tournament. I would never sign a deal where I had to fight Fedor unless I was being paid like $10 million. For $10 million, I’ll fight my mama. If it’s a tournament, that’s the only way.”