After UFC announced that Quinton “Rampage” Jasckson has re-signed with the promotion during their UFC Fight Night 58 event on Saturday, the backlash immediately began.
First, Bellator President Scott Coker took to Twitter just minutes after the announcement was made, claiming the MMA legend is still under contract with them.
Coker tweeted the following:
Let us be clear that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is under an exclusive contract with #BellatorMMA. We will protect our contractual rights
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) December 21, 2014
From there, UFC President Dana White joined in, posting a “smiley face” on his official Twitter account.
:)
— Dana White (@danawhite) December 21, 2014
Finally, Rampage himself has entered the mix, releasing the following official statement regarding the situation via his official website:
“After five months of grueling negotiations and gray-area contract talks with Bellator MMA and parent-company Viacom, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson officially terminates his contract with the up-and-coming promotion citing multiple breaches since the removal of President and Founder Bjorn Rebney.Jackson exercises a clause in the agreement that allows for a 45-day window to satisfy any contract dispute. Bellator MMA, failing to fulfill the requests of Jackson, was put on notice, failed to respond and eventually notified that negotiations were officially terminated. Jackson’s U.K.-based fight manager and Wolfslair Academy founder Anthony McGann confirms, late Saturday night, that “Rampage has indeed signed with the UFC.” Details of the deal have not been made public.
Jackson was available for comment late Saturday night from his Laguna Hills, CA training center Rampage Family Fitness and provided the following: “I went to the UFC and we put a deal together that worked out for both of us. I’m excited to be here. The UFC had nothing to do with me leaving Bellator. I was done with Bellator when I made the final call and they still didn’t do what they had to do contractually. I wish those guys the best but I’m where I belong.”
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