Las Vegas Weekly

December 7, 2009 · 4:54 PM

Has anyone seen Rampage Jackson?

By Allison Duck

Rampage has gotten help in his corner before but he wasn't there to give any to his TUF fighters Saturday night.

Photo: Justin M. Bowen

I guess Quinton Rampage Jackson was too busy running lines for his upcoming role in the A Team to be in the corner for the two fighters he “coached” on this season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. When Kimbo Slice and Marcus Jones entered the ring at the Pearl on Saturday night for the season finale fights, Coach Jackson was nowhere to be seen.

When it was announced Jackson would be coaching the heavyweight season of TUF, I, like other fans, was thrilled that the charismatic fighter would be at the helm. If anything, Jackson is a character and would have a lot to offer to the reality TV aspect of the show. Unfortunately for the fighters he picked for his team, that was about all Jackson had to offer.

Several times throughout the show Jackson went so far as to proclaim he wasn’t a coach. Fair enough. Most of the people tapped to coach on the show are not coaches by trade but rather fighters who have established themselves through years of hard work. However, Jackson seemed far less interested in coaching than he did in picking fights with opposing coach, Rashad Evans. Though it is rumored Jackson will return to eventually take on Evans, he claims he has hung up his UFC gloves to pursue acting.

His actions make it look like he’s hung up his love of the sport, as well.

Jackson wasn’t acting like much of a coach this weekend. He followed up an absence at the weigh-ins with a no-show at the actual fight, leaving Slice and Jones without the real-time advice, tips and critiques that a coach typically offers fighters during a bout. Evans cornered the fighters whom he coached on the reality show, and even if Jackson hadn’t done much actual coaching of his fighters during the show, he could have at least shown up to lend some moral support. He wasn’t there to congratulate Kimbo on his victory, even though the fighter had been his clear favorite and his first choice when teams were chosen. And he wasn’t there to console Marcus Jones in his first UFC loss, either.

Jackson couldn’t even be bothered to show up for a gratuitous plug of his new movie. Even Hulk Hogan showed up at the fight to promote his upcoming involvement with the TNA Impact wrestling promotion on Spike. I guess that’s why Hulk Hogan still has legions of Hulkamaniacs who follow his mustache’s every move. If Jackson alienates any more fans with his no-show attitude, they may return the favor by not showing up to theaters to see The A Team.

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