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RAMPAGE JACKSON, DIXIE CARTER & MORE DISCUSS JACKSON'S NEW DEAL WITH SPIKE, TNA & BELLATOR: FULL TRANSCRIPT

(Alex Scoff): Thank you very much Quinton. Just one more follow up Quinton. You're saying that losses don't matter so much. Is that experience talking because during your rematch against Wanderlei Silav the loss to Wanderlei seemed to really did affect you. You complained about the tournament format that he had a easier opponent in Yoshida.

Quinton Jackson: ((inaudible)).

(Alex Scoff): ((inaudible)) so is this experience talking or is this...

Quinton Jackson: Yes, I'm - okay this is something different now. You're talking about tournaments. Come on that's a tournament. I had the chance to go down in history as the guy who beat Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell in one night. Now you bring up that. Yes, that loss hurt, you know what I'm saying. I beat the crap out of Chuck Liddell. And my game plan was to take Wanderlei Silva down, and beat him up on the ground.

And that loss still haunts me from today. Because, you know, I got stood up then I got kneed in the face like 15 times. And I lost that fight. And yes, that loss hurt. I was a young man back then. But now- - like I said -- I've done a lot in this sport. My main focus is to just entertain the fans. And that takes a lot of pressure off. And it's guys like you who would never understand that. You all you - that's all you think about is win this and that, like who's the best and stuff like that. You know, you're entitled to being that. But, you know, at the same time how many fights have you ever fought.

(Alex Scoff): I was active duty military. I haven't had any professional fights. That's not my profession.

Quinton Jackson: I didn't ask you anything about military. I asked you about how many fights have you fought professionally in front of millions of people. It's like if you've done that 40 something odd times like I've done then you'd understand where I'm coming from. It's not always about winning and losing anymore, you know what I'm saying. Like when you're up in coming, yes you have to make a name for yourself. You're in a tournament, yes you want to win, you know what I'm saying.

But now, you know what I'm saying, it's like my job is to entertain the fans. I want to give them great fights. I want to win. Don’t think I'm going to come out there and just let people beat me up. That's not me, you know what I'm saying. But if I fall short trying to knock this guy out, trying to destroy this guy all I can do is like get up and shake his hand. "Man - dude, you beat me. It was a good fight." I'm not going to let ((inaudible)).

(Alex Scoff): Well thank you very much ((inaudible)).

David Schwarz: Hey, (Melanie) let's take one more question.

Operator: All right, we'll go to Eddie Goldman with No Holds Barred.

Eddie Goldman: Hi, thank you very much. Hello everybody. First question's for Rampage. You talked earlier a lot about criticisms you've had when you were in the UFC. And numerous present or former fighters in the UFC have been more and more vocal about complaints about the low purses and unfairness and a lot of other things. Do you think that at any point that the fighters should form some type of association or union of their own so that they can have collective bargaining about these contract issues?

Quinton Jackson: Well, you know, like that stuff's been talked about for a long time, you know what I'm saying. MMA is a sport that's evolving fast. I wish any fighter would get everything they want, everything they hope for, everything they deserve. And like that's what fighters want. Fighters - we do need like something after we get done fighting like some type of pension and stuff like that.

But like boxers been doing it for a while. Boxers - they been - and boxers don't have a pension. They also don't have a boxing pension. And only the top boxers make good money. So if it ain't happening in boxing I don't see it happening in MMA. So, you know what I'm saying, it's kind of like I wish the best for everybody and stuff like that. But this deal I just signed with Bellator and Viacom and with Spike TV and TNA I just - here's my pension right here, you know what I'm saying.

So, you know what I'm saying, I made the right decision. I'm not going to wait around for some union that could never happen, because from my common sense watching from boxing it ain't happened for them. So I just went and made my own reality and joined the best. Did you just burp while I'm giving my interview ((inaudible))? You're drinking beer over there man? You know, so, you know, I just made my pension happen for myself - work for myself so I can - so I don't have to worry about promoters that, you know what I'm saying, that's not with the ((inaudible)).

You know, I want the best for fighters. I say that because I'm a fighter. So I look - I have to look out for other fighters and stuff like that. But right now I'm looking out for me. So last thing I'm worried about now is a fighter pension. I'm over that whole issue now. I'm happy as hell.

Eddie Goldman: It wasn't me that burped. I'm drinking green tea.

Quinton Jackson: Sure.

Eddie Goldman: I have a question for Bjorn also. Rampage was in a lot of made a lot of controversial videos which people have seen online. Do you have any rules about what he can or cannot do or say on some on those issues that have been raised before?

Quinton Jackson: You're a hater.

Bjorn Rebney: Hey, Eddie.

Eddie Goldman: No, I'm not a hater. I'm a lover.

Bjorn Rebney: Yes, you know, look, Eddie. One of the things that makes us different is - and it's been a difference that we've stood behind since the first time I started this company. I'm a big fan of fighters being who they are. And I'm a big fan of fighters saying what they feel and what they think. And part of what makes this organization so unique and part of what gives it the opportunity to build up these kind of partnerships is that there are a lot of different personalities here.

We've got 100's of fighters under contract. And some of them are going to say things that some people find to be completely outrageous. And when I talk to Rampage or when I talk to Mo or when I talk to any number of other fighters who have got a personality and voiced their opinion I say the same thing to them. Be yourself. Say what you're going to say. Voice your opinion.

I'm not trying to sit back as a czar or as a king that sits on a throne and tells people who they're going to talk to and what they're going to say and what line they're going to tow. It's just not the personality of this organization.

And so it - we don't have those rules in place. There's common sense elements that everybody comes and puts in play. And, you know, we hope that everybody does that. But the bottom line is people've got to be who they are. People've got to express their opinion. I mean that's the essence of this company is self-determination.

And, you know, nobody's chosen here to be a champion. Nobody's given an opportunity to be a champion on a plate. You know, guys earn it. And they earn because who they are. And they express what they express. So it's just a different way of looking at things. And that's and we're going to keep standing by that.

Eddie Goldman: All right, thanks and good luck to everybody. And congratulations on this deal. I'm looking forward to seeing Rampage and Bellator.

David Schwarz: Okay everybody. Thank you for joining. If you have any further questions feel free to hit me up David Schwarz or my colleagues Anthony Mazzuca or Beth Gebhard. Thanks so much.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen that does conclude today's conference. Thank you all for joining.

Male: That's - there you go.

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