Rampage Jackson is set to fight later this year, against a name from his TUF 10 coaching stint, while Charles Radtke put his foot firmly in his mouth at UFC 293. UFC 5’s cover art has been revealed, McGregor earns his black belt, and more! It’s your Sunday MMA Quick Hits for September 10, 2023!
Rampage Jackson is finally getting “Titties”
In today’s edition of “matchmaking that comes a decade too late,” we have the return of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson against… Darrill “The Boss” Schoonover.
Of course, Schoonover became known by another name following The Ultimate Fighter 10 in 2009, “Tittles.” A label bestowed upon him by Jackson, who served as a coach on the show.
Jackson announced news of the fight, coming under the UFL banner, on his JAXXON podcast recently. 14 years on, there’s little anticipation for a grudge match no one asked for other than Jackson himself, and it’s almost a surprise to see Schoonover accept. He hasn’t fought since a 2015 loss to Ezekiel Wily.
Jackson, meanwhile, in a bit of poetic justice, blimped up himself late in his career, and looked pudgy and slow in his last fight, which saw the former light heavyweight knocked out by Fedor Emelianenko in December 2019.
Perhaps Schoonover signing on has something to do with this offer Jackson made him: “Rampage” has promised that if Schoonover wins, he’ll never call him “Titties” again.
UFC 5 Covers Revealed
Keep in mind, these selections were likely made the better part of a year ago, while Valentina Shevchenko remained a sitting champion. And, to be honest, whether she holds gold or not, “Bullet” is worthy of a cover spot as one of the best female fighters of all time.
Why have one cover athlete when you can have three?
Take a look at the stars on the front of #UFC5! 🕹️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/F2YA2VF7cb
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) September 5, 2023
McGregor Earns Black Belt, Completes Goals List
Conor McGregor was recently awarded his jiu-jitsu black belt, completing a list of goals “The Notorious” posted online just shy of a decade ago.
“I just want two gold belts, a jiu-jitsu black belt, a hall of fame plaque and 25 million in the bank. Is that too much to ask? Gym time!!” wrote McGregor on November 5, 2013.
With the addition of his black belt, McGregor has essentially completed the list. Two gold belts? Check. Featherweight and lightweight. $25 million in the bank? McGregor is worth that many times over. As for the Hall of Fame plaque, he’s a lock for the HOF after he retires.
“The Law of Attraction … It is the belief that you are able to create whatever situation that you want for yourself, and no one can take it from you. It is believing something is already yours, and then doing whatever you have to so that it comes true.” – Conor McGregor pic.twitter.com/RzSV5R1nfr
— The Mac Life (@TheMacLife) September 5, 2023
O’Malley Freaks Out Over Merab Training in Rain
The things that happen at the UFC PI…
Merab Dvalishvili is fully deserving of the next title shot against new champ Sean O’Malley, so the UFC is no doubt going to book O’Malley into a rematch with “Chito” Vera while they can. Regardless, O’Malley’s reaction when he realizes it’s his would-be opponent shadowboxing in the rain in priceless.
Sean O'Malley caught someone working out in the rain on video and had no idea it was Merab 😅
(via @SugaSeanMMA, @MerabDvalishvil, h/t @8_bitsuga) pic.twitter.com/SGwW6mbSIu
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 4, 2023
Matt Hughes’ Son Set for Pro MMA Debut
Brandon Mills, son of UFC Hall of Famer and former welterweight champ Matt Hughes, is set to make his professional MMA debut this October.
Mills, who went 4-0 as an amateur with three submissions and a unanimous decision win, will fight at Caged Aggression 38 on October 14, 2023. He’ll be facing Jordan Clark (2-1), on a card headlined by Pat Miletich vs. Mike Jackson.
MMA Junkie was first to report the news.
21-year old Mills trains out of American Top Team, and competed for Caged Aggression, LFA, and Midwest Cage Championship as an amateur, fighting for the first time in June of 2021.
Charles Radtke Apologizes After Using Homophobic Slur on UFC 293 Broadcast
Charles “Chuck Buffalo” Radtke’s UFC debut was memorable for all the wrong reasons on Saturday.
Radtke made his debut against City Kickboxing’s Blood Diamond, and served up the local hero’s third straight loss. That led to fans booing and jeering Radtke as he took to the mic for his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, and that’s when it all went south.
Irked by the crowd serenading him with boos, Radtke invited “all you f*cking f*ggots in the crowd” to “come down and get some, you p*ssy-ass b*tches.” At that point, the UFC broadcast cut Radtke’s interview, for good reason.
During the UFC 293 main card, Radtke issued an apology via social media.
“I’d like to sincerely apologize to UFC fans across the world and to the fans here in Sydney for the remarks I made post fight today. Those comments are not a reflection of who I am and they don’t belong on a platform as great as what the UFC has provided me. My emotions were running high. It’s hard to explain the way your mind works when you’re locked in a cage to fight another man with your entire livelihood and dreams on the line. I plan to learn from my mistakes from both during and after the fight and I’m hoping that I can get an opportunity to correct them in the future. Chuck Buffalo loves everybody.”
There had been some debate as to whether Radtke might lose his spot on the roster for his comments. While the UFC has, in recent years, been hands off on disciplining fighters for “colorful” remarks — look no further than UFC 293 headliner Sean Strickland, who is constantly saying something inflammatory — as noted by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, Australia in particular has strict laws about hate speech.
My sincere apologies to all of you watching today #ChuckBuffalo @danawhite @seanshelby @espn @espnmma @ufc pic.twitter.com/jXE9uO1JsU
— Charles Radtke (@ChuckBuffaloMMA) September 10, 2023
And then Manel Kape…
went and said it again. Sigh.
