Wanderlei Silva Plans to ‘Hang’ Quinton Jackson on the Ropes in Fifth Fight

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Rarely has a rivalry been so prolific that the competitors want to face one another a fifth time.

At Pride Final Conflict 2003, Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson battled it out in the finals of the 2003 middleweight (205 pounds) tournament. After six-plus minutes of combat, Silva emerged the victor courtesy of a seemingly unending series of knees and soccer kicks. The two met again nearly one year later at Pride 28, this time for the Pride middleweight strap on the line. Silva ultimately decimated his rival with knees in the second stanza, causing a bloodied “Rampage” to fall through the ropes after getting knocked out.

The story was not over despite two knockout victories in favor of the Brazilian, as both former Pride Fighting Championships fighters made their way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship after the former’s dissolution. At UFC 92 in December 2008, the 205-pound sluggers met for a third time in a title eliminator, and Jackson got the upper hand by starching Silva with a left hook and a few follow-up punches.

Both men departed the UFC banner and traveled to Bellator MMA, where almost a decade after their third encounter, they fought for a fourth time at Bellator 206. Unlike the first three matches, this bout took place at heavyweight, as Jackson no longer could reach the 206-pound limit. “Rampage” evened the score at two wins apiece by clubbing Silva with a flurry that forced referee Mike Beltran to step in.

Over 20 years after their first fight, the two want to settle the score in a fifth clash, however different from the rest. In a recent interview on “The MMA Hour,” Jackson discussed his upcoming boxing match with Shannon Briggs, while also mentioning he would not mind taking on Rashad Evans or Silva after defeating Briggs in June. “The Axe Murderer” replied on social media shortly after that, with a video where he accepted Jackson’s challenge.

“Get ready, Quinton Jackson,” Silva stated, “your time is coming. The challenge is more than accepted, and Wand will hang you on the ropes again.”

At 45, the former UFC light heavyweight king will make his professional boxing debut in Qatar against ex-heavyweight boxing champ Briggs. The two will collide for eight rounds on June 1, in what will be Jackson’s first foray into combat sports—barring an appearance with Bob Sapp in Fight Circus—since a knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko in December 2019. On the other hand, the 47-year-old Silva has not competed since his fourth fight with Jackson.