Quinton "Rampage" Jackson: 20Q

Q1

PLAYBOY: Before you announced you were quitting the UFC, you had just finished a stint as a coach on this season’s Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. Did you enjoy coaching?
JACKSON: I actually hated coaching. The job fucking sucked. And they better not ask me to do it again. It’s just fucking too much. It took too much time out of my day. I’ve got kids I didn’t see, and I’d bust out crying whenever I looked at their picture. I wanted to train, but I could barely train myself because these guys needed so much attention. And I ain’t gonna lie—the pay fucking sucked for how much work I did. It ain’t worth it to me. Those guys are great, but I didn’t like doing it.

Q2

PLAYBOY: How did you motivate your fighters?
JACKSON: Some of those guys were easy to motivate, and some of them weren’t. It depends on the guy. Some guys you slap and they get motivated. Some guys you’ve got to tell them, “Do you want me to change your tampon?” You’ve got all different types of personalities.

Q3

PLAYBOY: This season of Ultimate Fighter included underground fighting legend Kimbo Slice. What do you think of his chances in the UFC?
JACKSON: Kimbo has a lot of learning to do, but he’s willing to do it. He’s learned so quickly that I think he’s got a bright future in the UFC if he keeps progressing.

Q4

PLAYBOY: You’ve recently turned to acting. Tell us about The A-Team, the movie that caused you to quit the UFC.
JACKSON: I can’t talk too much about it. I’m doing it now that I’ve finished this reality show. The movie was set a long time ago, and I was in the process of getting ready for it when Ultimate Fighter came up. I used to bond with my father watching The A-Team as a kid. My dad and I are still big fans of the show, so I am basically doing this for the childhood memories.

Q5

PLAYBOY: When was the first time you punched someone in the face?
JACKSON: My mom said I’ve been fighting my whole life. I have a cousin who’s eight months younger than I am, and we literally fought every day for years. But the first time I punched somebody in the face who wasn’t a family member was in kindergarten. I let this kid borrow one of my Hot Wheels, and he broke it, so I decided to break my foot off in his ass. I’ve been in so many fights it just seems natural.

Q6

PLAYBOY: Please tell us your cousin doesn’t still want to fight you.
JACKSON: No, he doesn’t want to fight anymore. He stopped wanting to fight a couple of years ago. But even after I did some professional fights he still came at me once or twice. I was like, “Man, come on. What are you doing?” So I had to beat him up again, probably like seven years ago. I haven’t had to beat him up since.

Q7

PLAYBOY: What was your childhood like in Memphis?
JACKSON: I didn’t really have a childhood because I grew up around people who were a lot older than me, so I grew up too fast. I kind of did the street life for a bit, so I learned a lot. But you know, growing up in the streets I learned not to be like the guys I followed, which turned out to be pretty good for me. Those guys, they didn’t end up doing too much. They’re still living at home with their mamas.

Q8

PLAYBOY: Before you began fighting MMA, you were a wrestler. How did you get involved in wrestling?
JACKSON: My mom remarried, and we moved to a new neighborhood. I used to be a big pro-wrestling fan, and I found out the new school had wrestling. Since I always wanted to be a pro wrestler, I thought, Maybe this is my chance. I walked up to the wrestling coach, who was at the gas station, and I asked him, “Hey, can I join the wrestling team?” It was in the middle of their season, but I joined, and I got pretty good. I got my butt kicked in the wrestling room every day. But the next year I went out, I was undefeated. It changed my whole life.

Q9

PLAYBOY: So why did you drop wrestling and switch to MMA?
JACKSON: I met one of my favorite wrestlers at a hotel when I was wrestling in the state championships. I can’t say who it was, but I asked him for an autograph, and he was kind of rude to me. Then I saw him sign another kid’s autograph as he was leaving, so that killed my dream of becoming a pro wrestler. I didn’t want to have nothing to do with it.

Q10

PLAYBOY: You were arrested last year in Newport Beach, California for felony hit-and-run and felony reckless driving. You drove away even though your car has your name and picture plastered all over it and was seen by witnesses. What would you like to clarify about that incident?
JACKSON: I didn’t really pay attention to the press, but I know one thing: A lady tried to sue me and say she had a miscarriage because of the accident, but the DA said it had nothing to do with the miscarriage. Anyway, that’s old news.