‘Rampage’ earns narrow decision victory in Bellator return
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson extended his win streak to five with a split decision victory over 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on Bellator MMA card in St. Louis on Friday night.
Jackson rallied for the win in the main event of Bellator 157 after Ishii controlled much of the first round with throws and trips.
“I apologize that I didn’t get the outcome that I wanted but you can’t take anything from him,” Jackson said after competing for the first time since April 2015. “The guy’s a gold medalist at judo and he out-judo’d me. I think it was really close. It could have (gone) either way, so much respect to Ishii.”
Jackson has spent much of the last few years in a legal battle with Bellator. The former UFC light heavyweight champion accused Bellator of breaching his contract and he went back to compete in the UFC last year, winning a unanimous decision over Fabio Maldonado.
Jackson, whose three previous fights had been for Bellator, reached a settlement to return to the organization.
All of the legal wranglings have cost the 38-year-old valuable time in the cage.
“Ring rust is a real thing and I had to learn how to try to get the advantage so I could beat him,” Jackson said. “He stayed close so I couldn’t knock him out and Lord knows I was trying.”
Ishii is now just 2-4 in his last six fights.
Also on the card, former lightweight champion Michael Chandler took just 2:14 to reclaim the belt with a first-round knockout of Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.
Chandler stopped the fight with a big right hand that dropped Freire and gave him back the belt Will Brooks vacated when he signed with the UFC earlier this month.
“It feels so great,” said Chandler, who credited a move to Florida to train with the Blackzilians for his improvement. “I had a great opportunity here, I had a phenomenal double camp for this one fight. Every single one of those guys made me better.
“I’m just extremely, extremely excited and I can’t wait to defend this thing.”
The card also featured the Bellator debut of former UFC heavyweight contender Matt Mitrione.
After Mitrione got rocked early and appeared to be in danger of having the fight stopped, the former NFL defensive lineman rallied to land a right hand that knocked Carl Seumanutafa cold at 3:22 of the first round.
Seumanutafa was on his back with Mitrione standing over him when Mitrione jumped over his guard to land the decisive blow.
Mitrione had difficulty explaining exactly what happened.
“I don’t remember right now,” he said. “I hit the ground. I don’t know, brother. I don’t know. I remember thinking like ‘Oh (expletive), it’s time to get up and move buddy.’ I’m not supposed to be here right now. I think that’s what it was. I don’t know to be honest. I don’t know what the (expletive) I was thinking, but I’m glad it happened, whatever happened.”
Despite the foggy memory, Mitrione announced in the cage he hoped to fight Oli Thompson on July 16 in London.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
