- Quinton Jackson is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in Bellator MMA.
As of September 2023, Quinton Rampage Jackson’s net worth is estimated to be $4 Million, making him one of the richest MMA fighters in the world.
He is well known for being a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and has also fought in the Pride and Bellator MMA Championships.
Aside from fighting, Jackson is also an actor and has starred in dozens of films, including:
- The A-Team
- Never Surrender
- Bad Guys
- Death Warrior
Early Life
Quinton Jackson was born on the 20th of June, 1978, in Memphis, Tennessee, and had a pretty rough childhood.
His father was a drug addict and suddenly disappeared when Jackson was 10. He didn’t come back into Jackson’s life until he was 25.
Quinton was often involved in street fights as a teenager and also turned to selling drugs on the streets.
Jackson was a wrestling champ in high school, and he made friends with a mixed martial arts fighter. The two would exchange techniques, and practice together.
Career
Professional MMA Fighter
Jackson befriended Jacob Noe at school and later trained with him to learn punching and kicking techniques to improve his MMA prospects.
While attending the Lassen Community College, Quinton did well on the wrestling team until he was expelled after fighting with a teammate.
This led to him traveling to Las Vegas to train with MMA star, Lewis Rumble, and later joining the King of the Cage and Gladiator promotions.
Pride FC (2001-2006)
An opportunity to fight in Japan for more money saw Jackson leave Las Vegas, and participate in Pride 15 against Japanese fighter, Kazushi Sakuraba.
Despite losing to Sakuraba, Jackson impressed the promoters and fans with his fighting style and engaged to fight under the Japanese Pride organization.
He was invited to appear at Pride 17, where he defeated various opponents and heard about opportunities in Kickboxing.
Jackson knocked out his first opponent, Cyril Abidi, in the first round of a hotly contested fight, earning a well-deserved win.
But, the K1 rules and fights were not to his liking and he decided to return to the sport he knew best, MMA, in 2003.
With Jackson’s successful MMA title shot against Rocko Hammerhands Henderson raising his profile in the sport, he went looking for bigger targets.
Rivalry with Wanderlei Silva (2003-2005)
In a closely contested 2003 match against one of MMA’s most celebrated fighters, Jackson defeated Wanderlei Silva by a split decision.
Jackson’s split decision win was the start of a fierce rivalry between the two fighters as they traded wins and losses after multiple fights.
At the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, Murilo Bustamante and Jackson clashed for the chance to meat UFC fighter Chuck Liddell in the semi-finals.
Jackson beat both Bustamante and Liddell, securing a match against Silva in the tournament finals, where Silva won after the referee stopped the fight.
This defeat didn’t stop Jackson as he continued to fight in the Pride tournaments, beating Ikuhisa Minowa with a technical knockout before facing Ricardo Arona.
He knocked out Arona, setting Jackson up for another crack at Silva who knocked him out with multiple knee strikes.
Transition to UFC and Championship Glory (2007-2010)
In 2007, Jackson joined Dana White, signing with the UFC and in a defining career mover, defeated Chuck Liddell to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Title.
He was then appointed as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 7” as well as facing Forrest Griffin for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 86.
His first-round Griffin knockout proved his status as UFC champion, but it didn’t last long as Griffin beat him in a closely contested rematch.
While earning a reported $500,000 for his time in the UFC ring in 2010, Jackson went looking for bigger paydays.
Bellator MMA and Return to the UFC (2013-2014)
It wasn’t until 2013, that Jackson left the UFC and joined Bellator MMA, debuting with a knockout victory over Joey Beltran.
He then continued his winning form and impressed the crowds with another first-round knockout, this time against Christian M’Pumbu.
He returned briefly to the UFC in 2014, taking on Fabio Maldonado and Muhammed Lawal, both of whom he beat, proving his continued top form.
Final Years in Bellator MMA and Departure (2014-2019)
After taking a brief break from Bellator, Jackson returned to Bellator MMA in 2014, signing on for a further 5 years.
Throughout his final years in the MMA octagon, Jackson took on the toughest fighters, competing against some of the best newcomers.
He continued to perform well up until the end of his contract in 2019 but despite still being competitive, decided to retire while still in his prime.
During his career, Jackson secured 38 sensational victories and 14 losses after participating in a total of 52 professional matches.
His notable achievements included 20 wins by knockout, and 14 by decision, while losing 4 fights by knockout – proving himself a resilient, striking powerhouse.
Acting Career
Jackson’s career took a more artistic turn when he moved beyond the MMA into Hollywood, debuting in the 2010 film, “The A-Team.”
Unsurprisingly, he portrayed the iconic role of B.A. Baracus, originally played by Mr. T in the television series aired in the mid-1980s.
He went on to appear in other films, including “Miss March,” in 2009 and “Fire with Fire,” released in 2012 starring Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel.
Jackson’s career included a variety of roles including television shows such as the extremely popular “The King of Queens” with Kevin James in 2006.
Quinton Rampage Jackson’s Net Worth
Overall, Rampage is one of the most successful MMA fighters in the world and has acquired a net worth of $4 Million.
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights from Quinton Rampage Jackson’s career:
- PRIDE Fighting Championship Debut (2001)
- Final Conflict 2003 VS Chuck Liddell (2003)
- Critical Countdown 2004 VS Ricardo Arona (2004)
- Debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (2007)
- UFC 75: Champion VS Champion (2007)
- UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 VS Wanderlei Silva (2008)
- The A-Team Movie (2010)
Favorite Quotes from Quinton Rampage Jackson
- “I don’t fight to be famous. I fight to pay my bills.” – Quinton Rampage Jackson
- “As long as I get paid, you can put Godzilla in there.” – Quinton Rampage Jackson
- “There’s nothing wrong with fighting for the right things.” – Quinton Rampage Jackson
- “If you’re going to let pressure stop you from fulfilling your dreams, you’re robbing yourself.” – Quinton Rampage Jackson
- “Even when I hated training, I still trained very hard.” – Quinton Rampage Jackson
