According to a new report from John Joe O'Regan at Fighters Only Magazine, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will look to regain the UFC Light Heavyweight title he once held, in late summer at either UFC 102 or UFC 103, against the winner of next month's title fight between Rashad Evans and challenger Lyoto Machida.
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson has been pencilled in for an August shot at the light-heavyweight title, Fighters Only has been told.
Former champion Jackson might headline either UFC 102 or UFC 103, the latter possibly being a UK event, according to an industry source.
Rampage was initially offered a title shot at UFC 98 against Evans after winning a unanimous decision over Keith Jardine at UFC 96, but a short turnaround time and nagging injuries forced Jackson to decline the offer, paving the way for Machida to step in. Since dropping the the belt to Forrest Griffin last summer, Jackson has knocked out Wanderlei Silva and won the aforementioned bout against Jardine on his path towards reclaiming 205-lb gold.
UFC 102 is rumored for Portland, Oregon, and although is has not been officially announced yet, a headlining bout between Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is expected. Beyond that heavyweight attraction, the only other rumored fights have not exactly been "main-event worthy", so a title fight with Jackson vs. Machida/Evans would make good sense as a co-headliner with Nogueira/Couture.
Despite the above report, it's unlikely that UFC 103 will take place in August, with 101, 102 and a potential Fight Night event already rumored for that month. September would therefore seem to be the the only plausible time for UFC 103. Rumors about 103 and Rampage's participation started floating around last week, with some sources suggesting that the event would take place in Jackson's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. This report from Fighters Only is the first mention of the card taking place in the UK, although Dana White and other UFC brass had previously mentioned the next UK event happening in late summer or early fall.
Whichever card the fight ends up on, it will also depend on the status of the Evans/Machida winner, as injuries could potentially disrupt these plans. Such are the problems inherent when future fights are planned based on the winner of a fight that has not yet happened.
