Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
Encyclopedia
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva versus Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is a mixed martial arts
trilogy that began in the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships in Japan
. All three fights have been contested at the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds (93 kg) and televised live on pay-per-view
.
The trilogy features three particularly violent fights in mixed martial arts, with all three contests ending in a knockout or technical knockout
. On two occasions, the loser of the fight was rendered unconscious. The second fight in particular has received high acclaim, as it was named the 2004 Fight of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. The trilogy is also known for the rivalry and bad blood between the two fighters. Indeed, Chris Parry of the Vancouver Sun considers the matches between Wanderlei Silva
and Quinton Jackson
to be "legendary" for the hatred and violence displayed. MMAWeekly.com considers Silva vs. Jackson to be among the greatest trilogies in the history of mixed martial arts.
The rivalry began in the months leading up to Pride Final Conflict 2003
on November 9, 2003, where the first fight took place. Silva was victorious in the first meeting, after landing close to 20 standing knee strikes
to Jackson's face before the contest was halted. Silva once again bested Jackson with a combination of knees in the subsequent rematch at Pride 28: High Octane
, leaving the latter motionless and hanging between the ropes. The third fight took place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008
on December 27, 2008. This time, however, it would be Quinton Jackson avenging his two earlier defeats to Silva by knocking him unconscious with a left hook.
, who had just been defeated by Silva, Pride brought in Quinton Jackson, a relative unknown at the time, to face the Japanese fighter. The fight did not go as expected, with the much bigger Jackson overpowering Sakuraba and landing several punches. Sakuraba was eventually victorious via submission, but Jackson established himself as a legitimate contender to Wanderlei Silva's Pride Middleweight Championship in the process.
Following this success, Jackson began to direct several personal insults at Silva, a gesture that infuriated the champion. Silva was in the midst of what would be a 17-fight unbeaten streak. He captured the championship from Sakuraba at Pride 17
, and defeated him a total of three times. Jackson continued his negative comments towards the champion, and directed his latest insult at Silva's training camp at the time, the Chute Boxe Academy
.
These insults culminated in an altercation between the two on March 16, 2003, at Pride 25
. Following a victory over Kevin Randleman
, Jackson was given the microphone and started talking directly to Silva, who was sitting at ringside, saying "I want you boy. It's gonna be me and you." Silva immediately jumped to his feet and made his way into the ring. He was now face-to-face with Jackson, who continued by saying, "You have my belt, you're keeping it warm for me." Silva responded by giving Jackson a forceful shove. Jackson, visibly upset, advanced towards Silva as dozens of Pride officials intervened. Jackson stood still as he was surrounded by officials, while Silva had to be constantly restrained from charging at Jackson. Jackson later stated that he was instructed by Pride executives to make these comments. He added that Silva's shove infuriated him, and he was ready to fight Silva immediately.
Since then, Jackson has further clarified the origins and the nature of the bad blood between the two. According to Jackson, the rivalry exists because he was one of the few fighters in Japan who was not afraid of Silva outside of the ring. Jackson stated that fighters were afraid to eat or be in an elevator with Silva, but he was not one of them. He added that the bad blood is only coming from Silva's end. Silva, on the other hand, cited Jackson's apparent insults towards him on the internet to account for the bad blood in an interview prior to the UFC 92 fight.
The first meeting between the two took place in the final round of Pride's Middleweight tournament at Pride Final Conflict 2003 on November 9, 2003. The venue for the fight was the sold-out Tokyo Dome
in Tokyo, Japan, with a live audience of 53,000. The two fighters each fought in the same night prior to the finals, with Silva defeating Hidehiko Yoshida
, and Jackson defeating Chuck Liddell
, respectively. On the line was the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Championship.
The fight began with Jackson looking to close the distance early. Jackson immediately went for a double-leg takedown, and picked Silva up. Silva then locked his legs, creating a standing closed guard, and applied a guillotine choke
. The two stayed in this position until Jackson loosened his own grip, taking the fight to the ground for the first time, with Silva holding onto the chokehold.
After going to the ground, Jackson managed to slip out of the choke. Jackson began to attack with ground and pound, dealing strikes to Silva's body while Silva answered with the same from the bottom. Jackson began to land punches to Silva's face, and the latter attempted a Juji-gatame, a variation of an armbar. Silva could not pull off the hold, and Jackson moved into side control
shortly after. From here, Jackson threw punches to Silva's head and followed by landing two knees, again to the head (which were legal under Pride rules).
Jackson spent the next 5 minutes working on body strikes from closed guard. The referee then decided to return the fight to stand up due to inactivity. This decision by the referee is seen as controversial by some commentators, such as Dave Meltzer
. Jackson has also voiced his displeasure for the stand-up. Sam Caplan, an MMA journalist, added that the Pride referees were employees of the promotion, and Jackson was victim of several "hasty" stand-ups from the officials. Whether he was referring specifically to the fights against Silva is unknown. Shortly following the stand-up, Silva secured a Muay Thai Clinch and landed approximately 20 knee strikes to Jackson's face and several soccer kicks to the head before the referee called a stop to the contest. Silva was declared the winner by Technical Knockout at 6:28 of the 1st round and the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.
in Saitama, Japan, with a live audience of 24,028. This time, Silva's Middleweight Championship was on the line. Jackson became the number one contender after knocking out Ricardo Arona
with a slam at Pride Critical Countdown 2004
.
The second fight began with Jackson moving forward and getting into a clinch early. The two exchanged strikes in this position before breaking up. Jackson followed by throwing a brief flurry of punches and landing a knee. About halfway into the first round, Silva threw a flurry of punches and landed several knees from the Muay Thai Clinch before pushing Jackson against the turnbuckle. Jackson scrambled out of the clinch and scored a takedown with a combination of a leg trip and a headlock. Jackson attacked with ground and pound, but to limited damage, while Silva attempted submissions unsuccessfully. The referee then stood the fighters up due to inactivity.
Silva re-opened the action standing with a combination of punches and kicks. Jackson answered with a straight right hand, knocking Silva on to the canvas. Jackson followed Silva down and looked to finish the fight in Silva's closed guard. Jackson moved into side control shortly after and landed a clean knee strike to Silva's head followed by several punches, again to the head to end the round.
The second round began with the two fighters exchanging a flurry of strikes. Silva then attempted a takedown with a combination of a body lock and a trip, but Jackson reversed it into a takedown of his own. The action stayed in Silva's guard very briefly, until the two scrambled back to their feet.
During the subsequent exchange of strikes, Silva landed a direct right hook on Jackson's face, stunning Jackson and sending him backpedaling towards the ropes. Silva closed the distance and secured a Muay Thai clinch. From here, Silva landed approximately 5 knee strikes to Jackson's head, causing him to fall into the ropes, unconscious and with blood pouring out of his face. Silva was declared the winner by Knockout at 3:26 of the 2nd round to remain the Pride Middleweight Champion.
Following the second fight, Jackson fought a pair of disappointing performances against the Rua brothers, earning a controversial decision over Murilo
and getting brutally TKO'd by Mauricio
. These fights caused the rivalry to "cool down," because Jackson was no longer promoted as a contender for Silva's Middleweight Championship. Silva's unbeaten streak was ended in his next fight, when he lost a split decision to heavyweight kickboxer, Mark Hunt
. The streak lasted from August 2000 to December 2004. The rivalry between Silva and Jackson would be rekindled in the Ultimate Fighting Championship more than 4 years later.
, and a 36 second knockout victory over Keith Jardine
at UFC 84
. Quinton Jackson joined the organization in December 2006, became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion with a technical knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 71
, and successfully defended the belt at UFC 75
against Dan Henderson
. Jackson then lost the championship to Forrest Griffin
in a decision at UFC 86
.
It was announced that the third fight between Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson would take place at UFC 92. The winner between the two would likely be the next challenger for the UFC's Light Heavyweight Championship. "Showdown" Joe Ferraro
expected the third fight between Silva and Jackson to "steal the show" at UFC 92, and would "no doubt be one for the ages." Jason Probst of Sherdog
expected the fight to be a "solid fight at worst" and an "epic struggle at best." Adam Morgan of FiveOuncesofPain.com predicted another "classic battle" between the two. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports
added that it would not be a surprise if the contest turned out to be the fight of the year.
The fight was announced after a series of personal incidents involving the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Among them were Jackson's split with former trainer and mentor, Juanito Ibarra
, relocation to the UK
-based training camp, Wolfslair
, hit and run arrest, and possible jail time. There were questions surrounding Jackson's mental health, following an apparent episode of delirium
on the day of his arrest on July 15, 2008. UFC President Dana White
attributed the condition to a combination of Jackson not eating and sleeping for four days, while drinking only water and energy drinks. White added that drugs or alcohol were not factors in the incident. Jackson's personal problems and mental state became central issues for those who analyzed the fight, including for Randy "The Natural" Couture
, a fighter noted for his exceptional ability in fight analysis. After consideration of these events, speculation arose as to whether putting Jackson back into action against Silva would be too soon.
Wanderlei Silva reiterated his dislike for Jackson in pre-fight interviews, and asserted that his sentiments toward Jackson have not changed since their previous fight. In an interview with UFC.com, Silva stated that he was not fighting Jackson for money, but for "pure pleasure." He again cited Jackson's apparent insults toward him on the internet to account for the animosity. Jackson on the other hand, insisted that the third fight with Silva was not about avenging his two prior defeats, but was "merely his job." He also added that the third encounter with Silva was inevitable, especially after Silva signed with the UFC.
Silva and Jackson had another brief altercation, this time at the UFC 92 weigh-ins. After both tipping the scales, they participated in an intense staredown for photography. In the course of the staredown, Wanderlei Silva shoved Quinton Jackson before the UFC officials and security quickly intervened. Jackson could be seen smiling and saying something to Silva immediately preceding the scuffle. Jackson followed with his trademark howl and a "throat-slashing" gesture, as Silva was escorted away.
, with a live audience of 14,166.
The fight began with Jackson taking the center of the cage as Silva circled outside. Jackson opened the action with an overhand right, and immediately moved backwards. Both fighters appeared cautious for the opening minutes of the fight, exchanging strikes and quickly moving away. Silva focused on leg kicks, while Jackson focused on working the jab.
At 3:21 of the 1st round, after Wanderlei flurried and missed a punch with his right hand, Jackson countered with a left hook on Silva's jaw, sending the latter on to the canvas and rendering him unconscious. Jackson followed with three punches to Silva's head on the ground, two of which occurred after referee Yves Lavigne attempted to halt the contest. Wanderlei remained on the canvas for several moments, but appeared to be OK as he left the cage under his own power.
Following the fight at UFC 92, Jackson drew criticism from Todd Martin of CBS Sports
for ignoring referee Yves Lavigne's attempt to stop the contest. Martin compared Jackson's actions to Renato Sobral
's continued choke of David Heath
following a tap out
, which led to Sobral's dismissal from the UFC. Martin called for punishment against Jackson, but no action was taken against Jackson for this unsportsmanlike behavior.
Jackson's next fight was not against the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Rashad Evans
, as the pre-fight reports suggested. UFC President Dana White indicated that the original plan was for Jackson to receive an immediate title shot, but Evans requested time off to recover from injuries he sustained from his fight against Forrest Griffin. Instead, Jackson faced Keith Jardine at UFC 96
, and was victorious by unanimous decision. He was then scheduled to face Rashad Evans at UFC 98
, but it was later revealed on March 11, 2009 that Jackson needed surgery to repair torn ligaments in his jaw, effectively cancelling the bout against Evans.
In a post fight interview following UFC 92, Wanderlei Silva stated that he would be making his return to action in the Summer of 2009, preferably at UFC 100
. He added that would like to fight Jackson for a fourth and even fifth time if possible. Silva's next fight was a catchweight contest against Rich Franklin
at UFC 99
, in Cologne, Germany on June 13, 2009. Silva lost by unanimous decision in a competitive fight.
While Silva had an impending fight with Franklin, he was still asked about his future with Jackson. Indeed, in an interview with Fighters Only Magazine, Silva reiterated his desire to fight Jackson for a fourth time, and added that he wants it to be the final fight of his career. He also said that he no longer has problems with Jackson outside of the cage. Silva ended by saying that he spoke with Jackson at UFC 95
in London, England, and they two shook hands.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
trilogy that began in the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. All three fights have been contested at the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds (93 kg) and televised live on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
.
The trilogy features three particularly violent fights in mixed martial arts, with all three contests ending in a knockout or technical knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
. On two occasions, the loser of the fight was rendered unconscious. The second fight in particular has received high acclaim, as it was named the 2004 Fight of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. The trilogy is also known for the rivalry and bad blood between the two fighters. Indeed, Chris Parry of the Vancouver Sun considers the matches between Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
and Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
to be "legendary" for the hatred and violence displayed. MMAWeekly.com considers Silva vs. Jackson to be among the greatest trilogies in the history of mixed martial arts.
The rivalry began in the months leading up to Pride Final Conflict 2003
PRIDE Final Conflict 2003
Pride Final Conflict 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 9, 2003 and had over 67,450 people in the audience. This event was host to the semi-finals and finals of the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand...
on November 9, 2003, where the first fight took place. Silva was victorious in the first meeting, after landing close to 20 standing knee strikes
Knee (strike)
A knee strike is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent...
to Jackson's face before the contest was halted. Silva once again bested Jackson with a combination of knees in the subsequent rematch at Pride 28: High Octane
PRIDE 28
Pride 28: High Octane was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on October 31, 2004.- Heath Herring vs. Hirotaka Yokoi:...
, leaving the latter motionless and hanging between the ropes. The third fight took place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC) at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008
UFC 92
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
on December 27, 2008. This time, however, it would be Quinton Jackson avenging his two earlier defeats to Silva by knocking him unconscious with a left hook.
Background
The rivalry between the two fighters reportedly began around the Pride Middleweight (205 lb) Grand Prix. In an attempt to set up a "tune-up" bout for Kazushi SakurabaKazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
, who had just been defeated by Silva, Pride brought in Quinton Jackson, a relative unknown at the time, to face the Japanese fighter. The fight did not go as expected, with the much bigger Jackson overpowering Sakuraba and landing several punches. Sakuraba was eventually victorious via submission, but Jackson established himself as a legitimate contender to Wanderlei Silva's Pride Middleweight Championship in the process.
Following this success, Jackson began to direct several personal insults at Silva, a gesture that infuriated the champion. Silva was in the midst of what would be a 17-fight unbeaten streak. He captured the championship from Sakuraba at Pride 17
PRIDE 17
Pride 17: Championship Chaos was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 3, 2001. This event also saw the crowning of the first Pride FC Heavyweight and Middleweight champions.-Results: Renzo Gracie vs. ...
, and defeated him a total of three times. Jackson continued his negative comments towards the champion, and directed his latest insult at Silva's training camp at the time, the Chute Boxe Academy
Chute Boxe Academy
The Chute Boxe Academy opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Brazil. Head trainer Rudimar Fedrigo later expanded the program in 1991 to include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other aspects of modern mixed martial arts. By 1995, the Chute Boxe team was considered a prime training ground for...
.
These insults culminated in an altercation between the two on March 16, 2003, at Pride 25
PRIDE 25
Pride 25: Body Blow was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on March 16, 2003.- Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira:...
. Following a victory over Kevin Randleman
Kevin Randleman
Kevin Christopher Randleman is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter and a former UFC heavyweight champion. Randleman's background is in Collegiate wrestling. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Randleman was a two time Division I NCAA Champion for The Ohio State University...
, Jackson was given the microphone and started talking directly to Silva, who was sitting at ringside, saying "I want you boy. It's gonna be me and you." Silva immediately jumped to his feet and made his way into the ring. He was now face-to-face with Jackson, who continued by saying, "You have my belt, you're keeping it warm for me." Silva responded by giving Jackson a forceful shove. Jackson, visibly upset, advanced towards Silva as dozens of Pride officials intervened. Jackson stood still as he was surrounded by officials, while Silva had to be constantly restrained from charging at Jackson. Jackson later stated that he was instructed by Pride executives to make these comments. He added that Silva's shove infuriated him, and he was ready to fight Silva immediately.
Since then, Jackson has further clarified the origins and the nature of the bad blood between the two. According to Jackson, the rivalry exists because he was one of the few fighters in Japan who was not afraid of Silva outside of the ring. Jackson stated that fighters were afraid to eat or be in an elevator with Silva, but he was not one of them. He added that the bad blood is only coming from Silva's end. Silva, on the other hand, cited Jackson's apparent insults towards him on the internet to account for the bad blood in an interview prior to the UFC 92 fight.
Pride Final Conflict 2003
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
in Tokyo, Japan, with a live audience of 53,000. The two fighters each fought in the same night prior to the finals, with Silva defeating Hidehiko Yoshida
Hidehiko Yoshida
is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...
, and Jackson defeating Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
, respectively. On the line was the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Championship.
The fight began with Jackson looking to close the distance early. Jackson immediately went for a double-leg takedown, and picked Silva up. Silva then locked his legs, creating a standing closed guard, and applied a guillotine choke
Guillotine choke
The guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts and wrestling applied from in front of the opponent. The choke involves using the arms to encircle the opponent's neck in a fashion similar to a guillotine. The technique is either a type of tracheal compression restraint that prevents air flow...
. The two stayed in this position until Jackson loosened his own grip, taking the fight to the ground for the first time, with Silva holding onto the chokehold.
After going to the ground, Jackson managed to slip out of the choke. Jackson began to attack with ground and pound, dealing strikes to Silva's body while Silva answered with the same from the bottom. Jackson began to land punches to Silva's face, and the latter attempted a Juji-gatame, a variation of an armbar. Silva could not pull off the hold, and Jackson moved into side control
Side control
Side control is a dominant ground grappling position where the top combatant is lying perpendicularly over the face-up bottom combatant in such a way that the legs are free and he or she exerts considerable control over the combatant on the bottom...
shortly after. From here, Jackson threw punches to Silva's head and followed by landing two knees, again to the head (which were legal under Pride rules).
Jackson spent the next 5 minutes working on body strikes from closed guard. The referee then decided to return the fight to stand up due to inactivity. This decision by the referee is seen as controversial by some commentators, such as Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
. Jackson has also voiced his displeasure for the stand-up. Sam Caplan, an MMA journalist, added that the Pride referees were employees of the promotion, and Jackson was victim of several "hasty" stand-ups from the officials. Whether he was referring specifically to the fights against Silva is unknown. Shortly following the stand-up, Silva secured a Muay Thai Clinch and landed approximately 20 knee strikes to Jackson's face and several soccer kicks to the head before the referee called a stop to the contest. Silva was declared the winner by Technical Knockout at 6:28 of the 1st round and the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.
Pride 28: High Octane
The rematch took place on October 31, 2004 at Pride 28: High Octane. The venue for the fight was the Saitama Super ArenaSaitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. Its spectator capacity is 37,000 at maximum settings.This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and...
in Saitama, Japan, with a live audience of 24,028. This time, Silva's Middleweight Championship was on the line. Jackson became the number one contender after knocking out Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix finalist. He has competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and RINGS in his mixed martial arts career, and is a member of Brazilian Top Team.-Abu Dhabi and RINGS:...
with a slam at Pride Critical Countdown 2004
PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004
Pride Critical Countdown 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place on June 20th, 2004, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.-Background:...
.
The second fight began with Jackson moving forward and getting into a clinch early. The two exchanged strikes in this position before breaking up. Jackson followed by throwing a brief flurry of punches and landing a knee. About halfway into the first round, Silva threw a flurry of punches and landed several knees from the Muay Thai Clinch before pushing Jackson against the turnbuckle. Jackson scrambled out of the clinch and scored a takedown with a combination of a leg trip and a headlock. Jackson attacked with ground and pound, but to limited damage, while Silva attempted submissions unsuccessfully. The referee then stood the fighters up due to inactivity.
Silva re-opened the action standing with a combination of punches and kicks. Jackson answered with a straight right hand, knocking Silva on to the canvas. Jackson followed Silva down and looked to finish the fight in Silva's closed guard. Jackson moved into side control shortly after and landed a clean knee strike to Silva's head followed by several punches, again to the head to end the round.
The second round began with the two fighters exchanging a flurry of strikes. Silva then attempted a takedown with a combination of a body lock and a trip, but Jackson reversed it into a takedown of his own. The action stayed in Silva's guard very briefly, until the two scrambled back to their feet.
During the subsequent exchange of strikes, Silva landed a direct right hook on Jackson's face, stunning Jackson and sending him backpedaling towards the ropes. Silva closed the distance and secured a Muay Thai clinch. From here, Silva landed approximately 5 knee strikes to Jackson's head, causing him to fall into the ropes, unconscious and with blood pouring out of his face. Silva was declared the winner by Knockout at 3:26 of the 2nd round to remain the Pride Middleweight Champion.
Following the second fight, Jackson fought a pair of disappointing performances against the Rua brothers, earning a controversial decision over Murilo
Murilo Rua
Murilo Rua is a former Brazilian mixed martial artist who fought in Pride Fighting Championships. Nicknamed Ninja, he is the older brother of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. He is known for his well-rounded fighting skills, in particular Muay Thai and Brazilian...
and getting brutally TKO'd by Mauricio
Mauricio Rua
Maurício Milani Rua is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion...
. These fights caused the rivalry to "cool down," because Jackson was no longer promoted as a contender for Silva's Middleweight Championship. Silva's unbeaten streak was ended in his next fight, when he lost a split decision to heavyweight kickboxer, Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt ; is a New Zealand kickboxer and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is known for his raw strength, iron chin and knockout power. He won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final...
. The streak lasted from August 2000 to December 2004. The rivalry between Silva and Jackson would be rekindled in the Ultimate Fighting Championship more than 4 years later.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Wanderlei Silva signed with the UFC in August 2007, and had two fights in the organization, a decision loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 79UFC 79
UFC 79: Nemesis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on December 29, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, and a 36 second knockout victory over Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine
Keith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
at UFC 84
UFC 84
UFC 84: Ill Will was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 24, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Overview:...
. Quinton Jackson joined the organization in December 2006, became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion with a technical knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 71
UFC 71
UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, and successfully defended the belt at UFC 75
UFC 75
UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.The event was held September 8, 2007 at The O2 in London, England. The event was on Setanta Sports 1 in the United Kingdom, TV4 Sport in Sweden, PPV1 in Ireland, and offered on tape delay on...
against Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
. Jackson then lost the championship to Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
in a decision at UFC 86
UFC 86
UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 5, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada....
.
It was announced that the third fight between Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson would take place at UFC 92. The winner between the two would likely be the next challenger for the UFC's Light Heavyweight Championship. "Showdown" Joe Ferraro
Joe Ferraro
"Showdown Joe" Ferraro is a mixed martial arts analyst for Canadian sports channel Rogers Sportsnet and is the host of The Showdown on Toronto's sports radio station The Fan 590....
expected the third fight between Silva and Jackson to "steal the show" at UFC 92, and would "no doubt be one for the ages." Jason Probst of Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
expected the fight to be a "solid fight at worst" and an "epic struggle at best." Adam Morgan of FiveOuncesofPain.com predicted another "classic battle" between the two. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
added that it would not be a surprise if the contest turned out to be the fight of the year.
The fight was announced after a series of personal incidents involving the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Among them were Jackson's split with former trainer and mentor, Juanito Ibarra
Juanito Ibarra
Juanito Ibarra is a Mexican-American boxing and mixed martial arts trainer, predominantly known for his work with champions in boxing and MMA such as Oscar de la Hoya and until 2008 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Ibarra and Jackson parted ways after his loss at UFC 86.Ibarra was ranked #469 on the...
, relocation to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based training camp, Wolfslair
Wolfslair MMA Academy
The Wolfslair MMA Academy is a fight team and training camp for mixed martial artists, and kickboxers headquartered in Widnes, United Kingdom...
, hit and run arrest, and possible jail time. There were questions surrounding Jackson's mental health, following an apparent episode of delirium
Delirium
Delirium or acute confusional state is a common and severe neuropsychiatric syndrome with core features of acute onset and fluctuating course, attentional deficits and generalized severe disorganization of behavior...
on the day of his arrest on July 15, 2008. UFC President Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
attributed the condition to a combination of Jackson not eating and sleeping for four days, while drinking only water and energy drinks. White added that drugs or alcohol were not factors in the incident. Jackson's personal problems and mental state became central issues for those who analyzed the fight, including for Randy "The Natural" Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
, a fighter noted for his exceptional ability in fight analysis. After consideration of these events, speculation arose as to whether putting Jackson back into action against Silva would be too soon.
Wanderlei Silva reiterated his dislike for Jackson in pre-fight interviews, and asserted that his sentiments toward Jackson have not changed since their previous fight. In an interview with UFC.com, Silva stated that he was not fighting Jackson for money, but for "pure pleasure." He again cited Jackson's apparent insults toward him on the internet to account for the animosity. Jackson on the other hand, insisted that the third fight with Silva was not about avenging his two prior defeats, but was "merely his job." He also added that the third encounter with Silva was inevitable, especially after Silva signed with the UFC.
Silva and Jackson had another brief altercation, this time at the UFC 92 weigh-ins. After both tipping the scales, they participated in an intense staredown for photography. In the course of the staredown, Wanderlei Silva shoved Quinton Jackson before the UFC officials and security quickly intervened. Jackson could be seen smiling and saying something to Silva immediately preceding the scuffle. Jackson followed with his trademark howl and a "throat-slashing" gesture, as Silva was escorted away.
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008
The third fight between Silva and Jackson took place on December 27, 2008 at UFC 92. The venue for the fight was the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, with a live audience of 14,166.
The fight began with Jackson taking the center of the cage as Silva circled outside. Jackson opened the action with an overhand right, and immediately moved backwards. Both fighters appeared cautious for the opening minutes of the fight, exchanging strikes and quickly moving away. Silva focused on leg kicks, while Jackson focused on working the jab.
At 3:21 of the 1st round, after Wanderlei flurried and missed a punch with his right hand, Jackson countered with a left hook on Silva's jaw, sending the latter on to the canvas and rendering him unconscious. Jackson followed with three punches to Silva's head on the ground, two of which occurred after referee Yves Lavigne attempted to halt the contest. Wanderlei remained on the canvas for several moments, but appeared to be OK as he left the cage under his own power.
Following the fight at UFC 92, Jackson drew criticism from Todd Martin of CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
for ignoring referee Yves Lavigne's attempt to stop the contest. Martin compared Jackson's actions to Renato Sobral
Renato Sobral
Renato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...
's continued choke of David Heath
David Heath (fighter)
David Alan Heath is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he made his debut at UFC 62, defeating Cory Walmsley by first-round submission...
following a tap out
Submission (combat sport term)
A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat...
, which led to Sobral's dismissal from the UFC. Martin called for punishment against Jackson, but no action was taken against Jackson for this unsportsmanlike behavior.
Aftermath
The rivalry between Silva and Jackson has been regarded as "exceptionally violent," and the fights in the Pride Fighting Championship have been considered to be two of the most brutal matches to ever take place in the organization. Chris Parry of the Vancouver Sun asserted that the two fights in Pride will be remembered as "some of the best fights in this era," and as "some of the most devastating boxing and kickboxing exchanges seen in years." The rematch at Pride 28 has been noted as an exciting fight with back-and-forth action, and was also named the 2004 Fight of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. The first fight at Pride Final Conflict 2003 has also gained fight of the year consideration.Jackson's next fight was not against the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
, as the pre-fight reports suggested. UFC President Dana White indicated that the original plan was for Jackson to receive an immediate title shot, but Evans requested time off to recover from injuries he sustained from his fight against Forrest Griffin. Instead, Jackson faced Keith Jardine at UFC 96
UFC 96
UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . It was held in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2009 at Nationwide Arena.-Preliminary card:...
, and was victorious by unanimous decision. He was then scheduled to face Rashad Evans at UFC 98
UFC 98
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, but it was later revealed on March 11, 2009 that Jackson needed surgery to repair torn ligaments in his jaw, effectively cancelling the bout against Evans.
In a post fight interview following UFC 92, Wanderlei Silva stated that he would be making his return to action in the Summer of 2009, preferably at UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
. He added that would like to fight Jackson for a fourth and even fifth time if possible. Silva's next fight was a catchweight contest against Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
at UFC 99
UFC 99
UFC 99: The Comeback was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 13, 2009 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first UFC event held in Germany, as well as the first in mainland Europe .-Background:On Monday, June 1, the...
, in Cologne, Germany on June 13, 2009. Silva lost by unanimous decision in a competitive fight.
While Silva had an impending fight with Franklin, he was still asked about his future with Jackson. Indeed, in an interview with Fighters Only Magazine, Silva reiterated his desire to fight Jackson for a fourth time, and added that he wants it to be the final fight of his career. He also said that he no longer has problems with Jackson outside of the cage. Silva ended by saying that he spoke with Jackson at UFC 95
UFC 95
UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 21, 2009 at The O2 Arena in London, England. It was broadcast live for viewers in Europe and Canada and later tape delayed for U.S. viewers on Spike...
in London, England, and they two shook hands.