D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
UFC President Dana White is confident that
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will be back in the Octagon some time in 2010.
Jackson, 30, backed out of a headlining bout at
UFC 107 on Dec. 12 to take a lead role as “B.A. Baracus” in the film remake of “
The A-Team,” opposite Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson. The December matchup, against
Rashad Evans, would have culminated the pair’s back-and-forth bickering on this season’s “The Ultimate Fighter,” currently airing on Spike TV.
“Yeah, I’m sure we will (see him),” said White during a UFC conference call Friday. “Rampage is under contract with us and this is where he makes his money, so I’d say yes.”
Meanwhile, White gave his blessing upon hearing of 28-year-old welterweight champion
Georges St. Pierre’s aspirations to make the 2012 Olympic wrestling team for Canada.
“I think it would be great if he won a medal,” said White. “Guys that are under contract, they come to us and we sit down and we figure things out. Listen, the thing is if you’re under contract with me, (it) doesn’t mean I don’t want you doing anything else in your life.”
However, White drew the line with Jackson’s decision to skirt the Dec. 12 bout against Evans in favor of the film offer.
“The thing with Rampage is (that) Rampage committed to doing ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ the highest rated season ever in the history of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ and then he bails on the fight,” said White. “There’s a big difference.”
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