On the eve of the heavily anticipated light heavyweight title bout between
Rampage Jackson and
Forrest Griffin, the champion's trainer and manager Juanito Ibarra promises to retire should the champion lose his belt to the challenger on the
UFC 86 main event on Saturday, July 5.
"It was a moment, it really was," he says. "It was a moment there at (training) camp, me feeling very confident in Rampage. Nothing against Forrest at all, but it is what it is. At this point, I think Rampage - as long as he wants to listen and keeps listening - I think he's going to be champion for a long time. That's why I say it's nothing against anybody, it's just Rampage's time. ... He hasn't peaked as a fighter yet."
The two were rival coaches on the 7th season of the reality show
The Ultimate Fighter. Both have huge knockout powers and are not known to quit their matches. Outside the ring, they ooze with charisma and have a great sense of humor.
Even fight experts are torn as to how this fight would go. Mixed Martial Arts ranking guru Dustin James, upon weighing out the merits of each fighter, is putting his money on the champion via decision.
“On one hand you have the former PRIDE veteran Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who has torn through the competition thus far in the UFC on his way to becoming UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the "faces" of the company. On the other hand you have Forrest Griffin who is the UFC's home grown star who can basically beat anybody in the game, but can also lose just as quick.”
-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
411mania.com Canadian Press
(Image Courtesy of UFC)