# Quinton Jackson
**Quinton "Rampage" Jackson** (born 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist from [Memphis, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-tennessee) who won the UFC light heavyweight championship in 2007, starred in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, and later fought in [Bellator MMA](https://www.edgepedia.org/bellator-mma) before becoming an actor, most famously as B.A. Baracus in the 2010 film *The A-Team*.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/quinton_rampage_jackson)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978, Memphis, Tennessee[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187) |
| Professional record | 38 wins, 14 losses; 20 by KO/TKO, 4 by submission, 14 by decision[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) |
| UFC title | Captured the light heavyweight title by knocking out Chuck Liddell in round 1 (1:53) at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007; defended it once, against Dan Henderson at UFC 75[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) |
| Pride career | 17 fights with 12 victories; lost only to Kazushi Sakuraba, Daijiro Matsui, Mauricio Rua, and Wanderlei Silva (twice)[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) |
| Bellator career | 4-2 in six fights; won the Bellator Season 10 light heavyweight tournament[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633) |
| Signature finish | The power slam that knocked out Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2004[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633) |
| Acting | Best known as B.A. Baracus in *The A-Team* (2010), opposite Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/quinton_rampage_jackson) |
## Early career and Pride
Jackson turned professional in November 1999, winning a unanimous decision over Mike Pyle in Memphis, and started his career with two straight wins before losing a decision to Marvin Eastman in June 2000.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) He then ran off eight consecutive victories, fighting twice in King of the Cage and capturing that promotion's light heavyweight title, and also appearing in Gladiator Challenge and other regional shows.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061)
**Pride Fighting Championships.** Jackson fought 17 times in Japan's Pride organization, gathering 12 victories over opponents including [Igor Vovchanchyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/igor-vovchanchyn), Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Arona, and Murilo Rua.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) His Pride losses came against [Kazushi Sakuraba](https://www.edgepedia.org/kazushi-sakuraba) (submission, July 2001), Daijiro Matsui (disqualification for a knee to the groin), Mauricio Rua (TKO by soccer kicks, April 2005), and [Wanderlei Silva](https://www.edgepedia.org/wanderlei-silva) twice, both by knockout.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) He reached the final of Pride's 2003 middleweight grand prix, losing to Silva in the tournament's concluding stage.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633)
His most famous Pride moment came on June 20, 2004, when he knocked Ricardo Arona unconscious with a slam, a move the Los Angeles Times later reported Fox Sports Net's "Sport Science" measured as having a "head impact criteria" of 3,500, an index 3.5 times worse than a typical car crash.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-30-sc-ent-0528-rampage-jackson-20100530-47-story.html) The nickname "Rampage" dates to his childhood: he earned it as a wrestling prodigy at age 8.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-30-sc-ent-0528-rampage-jackson-20100530-47-story.html)
## UFC champion
Jackson entered the UFC in February 2007, knocking out Marvin Eastman at UFC 67 to avenge his earlier loss, which arranged a title fight with [Chuck Liddell](https://www.edgepedia.org/chuck-liddell).[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) At UFC 71 on May 26, 2007, a right hand to the jaw dropped Liddell, and Jackson finished him with ground strikes in 1:53 of the first round to become UFC light heavyweight champion.[7](https://www.ufc.com/news/rampage-taking-over-ufc) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) Liddell had been the biggest name in the sport and its long-reigning champion, and the bout drew unprecedented media coverage.[7](https://www.ufc.com/news/rampage-taking-over-ufc)
In September 2007 he defended the belt against [Dan Henderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/dan-henderson), then Pride's middleweight champion, winning a five-round unanimous decision at UFC 75 and unifying the two organizations' titles.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) He lost the title in his next defense, dropping a unanimous decision to [Forrest Griffin](https://www.edgepedia.org/forrest-griffin) at UFC 86 in July 2008.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348)
His remaining UFC run included a first-round knockout of Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December 2008, evening the score with the man who had beaten him twice in Pride, and a split-decision win over [Lyoto Machida](https://www.edgepedia.org/lyoto-machida) at UFC 123.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) Losses to [Rashad Evans](https://www.edgepedia.org/rashad-evans), Matt Hamill's opponent-turned-successor [Jon Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-jones), Ryan Bader, and Glover Teixeira followed, and he left the promotion after a January 2013 decision loss to Teixeira with a UFC record of 8-5 in 13 fights.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348)
## Fighting style
Jackson was essentially a power puncher with solid boxing and strong takedown defense, using his wrestling "in reverse" to keep fights standing, where his knockout power could end a bout in a blink.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633) • [8](https://primagames.com/eguides/ufc-undisputed-3-eguide/prima-top-20/prima-top-20/quinton-jackson) He landed 53 percent of his standing strikes, a ratio MMA Fighting described as excellent, and his best chance in most fights was hurting an opponent with a hook.[9](https://www.mmafighting.com/2011/09/23/176306/ufc-135-main-event-breakdown-jon-jones-vs-quinton-rampage-ja)
The numbers behind the style: 16 first-round finishes, including Liddell, Randleman, Silva, Vovchanchyn, and Arona; 23 wins by knockout, technical knockout, or submission, 62 percent of his career total; and 8 knockdowns landed in UFC competition, which ranked fifth on the promotion's all-time light heavyweight list behind Liddell (14), Rua (13), Machida (11), and [Alexander Gustafsson](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-gustafsson) (9).[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187) His submission game was a persistent weakness, and both of his submission losses, to Sakuraba and Jon Jones, came by rear-naked choke.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348)
## Bellator and later fights
Jackson joined Bellator MMA and went 4-2 in six fights, beating Joey Beltran, Christian M'Pumbu, Fabio Maldonado, and [Satoshi Ishii](https://www.edgepedia.org/satoshi-ishii), with his two losses coming to [Muhammed Lawal](https://www.edgepedia.org/muhammed-lawal) and [Chael Sonnen](https://www.edgepedia.org/chael-sonnen).[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) He decisioned Lawal in the Bellator Season 10 light heavyweight tournament finals, then lost the rematch at Bellator 175 in March 2017, his first defeat in more than four years.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061) • [1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187) In 2018 he moved up to heavyweight for Bellator's grand prix, losing a unanimous decision to Sonnen at Bellator 192, and in September 2018 he stopped Wanderlei Silva with punches in the second round of their fourth meeting at Bellator 206.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348) His last recorded professional fight was a first-round TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237 in December 2019.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348)
## Acting career
Jackson's first screen appearances were low-budget action films such as *Confessions of a Pit Fighter* (2005) and *The Midnight Meat Train* (2008), plus roles with fighter-director Hector Echavarria in *Never Surrender* (2009) and *Death Warrior* (2009).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/quinton_rampage_jackson) His fight schedule had previously kept him from larger roles; he said he turned down parts in *Transporter 2* and *Wolverine* because "UFC was in the way."[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-30-sc-ent-0528-rampage-jackson-20100530-47-story.html)
**The A-Team.** When a film adaptation of the 1980s television series moved toward production, Jackson beat out a field that included rappers Common and Ice Cube and fighter Kimbo Slice for the role of Sgt. B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus, the part that made Mr. T a global phenomenon on the original series.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-30-sc-ent-0528-rampage-jackson-20100530-47-story.html) The 2010 film, directed by Joe Carnahan and co-starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Sharlto Copley, remains his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 48 percent, against a low of 14 percent for *Acceleration* (2019).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/quinton_rampage_jackson) • [10](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/02/83/15/02004/61110.pdf)
## Assessment
Sherdog's retrospective on the light heavyweight greats credited Jackson with elite-tier status across more than a decade and several major organizations, a list of fighters it described as short, and noted his title defense against Henderson effectively unified the UFC and Pride championships.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633) The same analysis counted the costs: he lost twice as many major title fights as he won (2-4), his finish rate of 59 percent was modest for a power puncher, and several losses, including the decision to Forrest Griffin, were one-sided.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633) Across a career spanning 49 fights and four countries (the United States, Japan, Canada, and England), he defeated five men who held or would hold UFC championships: Liddell twice, Lyoto Machida, Murilo Bustamante, and Kevin Randleman.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187)
## References
1. [Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: By The Numbers, Sherdog (Brian Knapp, Jan 16, 2018)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Quinton-Rampage-Jackson-By-The-Numbers-131187)
2. [Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/quinton_rampage_jackson)
3. [Quinton Jackson MMA Stats and Biography, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348)
4. [By the Numbers: Quinton Jackson, Sherdog (Mark Raymundo, Sep 27, 2018)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/By-the-Numbers-Quinton-Jackson-143061)
5. [Under the Microscope: Analyzing Light Heavyweight Greats - Quinton Jackson, Sherdog (Eric Stinton, Aug 13, 2015)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/4/Under-the-Microscope-Analyzing-Light-Heavyweight-Greats-90633)
6. [Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson fits 'The A-Team' to a Mr. T, Los Angeles Times (May 30, 2010)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-30-sc-ent-0528-rampage-jackson-20100530-47-story.html)
7. [Rampage - Taking Over the UFC, UFC.com (Thomas Gerbasi, May 15, 2011)](https://www.ufc.com/news/rampage-taking-over-ufc)
8. [Quinton Jackson, UFC Undisputed 3 Guide, Prima Games](https://primagames.com/eguides/ufc-undisputed-3-eguide/prima-top-20/prima-top-20/quinton-jackson)
9. [UFC 135 Main Event Breakdown: Jon Jones vs. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, MMA Fighting (Sep 23, 2011)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2011/09/23/176306/ufc-135-main-event-breakdown-jon-jones-vs-quinton-rampage-ja)
10. [Newspaper photo caption and review of The A-Team, University of Florida Digital Collections](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/02/83/15/02004/61110.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Heavyweight and light heavyweight fighters › Light heavyweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license