MMAVu

Uncle Quinton wants YOU!!

Sources indicate that former 205lb Champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been chosen to return to the Ultimate Fighter series to coach the upcoming season of Middleweights, Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights.

The opposing coach would likely be the winner of the UFC 98 main event of Champion Rashad Evans against Lyoto Machida, as Jackson is essentially the number one contender. Jackson actually earned the spot with the win over Keith Jardine at UFC 96 and had a jaw-jacking session with Evans in the octagon afterwards. However, Jackson opted to take care of some nagging injuries first, and UFC 98 was too quick a turnaround for him. The UFC shifted gears and trotted out Lyoto Machida to face Evans, an equally, if not more deserving challenger than Jackson.

I’ve said it before, I don’t like the idea of using the Ultimate Fighter series to hype a title fight. It takes the title out of action for far too long, as it did when Matt Serra was to defend against Matt Hughes at UFC 79. The UFC spent 8 months promoting the fight with TUF 6, which was way too long, and a month before the fight, Serra pulled up lame with a bad back. By the time Serra finally defended his belt at UFC 83, the Welterweight Championship had gone a year without being contended for. The UFC gave the winner of St. Pierre (who stepped in for the injured Serra at UFC 79) and Hughes an, “interim” title, but it meant absolutely nothing. Jackson coaching again is just a rumor at this point, so I hope that’s not the case.