The main event at UFC 86 will be more about business than bad blood when Quinton (Rampage) Jackson defends his light-heavyweight title July 5 against Forrest Griffin.
The two are coming off a stint as rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show. But unlike some past seasons (think Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra), not many sparks flew. Threats were largely replaced by one-liners.
The drama for Jackson-Griffin will come in the cage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, rather than in front of a microphone.
“I fight for a living,” Jackson explained in a conference call Thursday. “I don't think it would be fair if I fight people while I was pissed off. Wouldn't even be a fair fight. They shouldn't even allow me to fight if I was pissed off.
“I'm happy. Happy to be making money, happy to be in the UFC. Happy to be defending my title.”
Griffin, who sometimes can seem in his own zone, was just as matter-of-fact.
“Whether you like the guy or hate him, it doesn't matter,” added Griffin. “You're going to hit him as hard as you can. It doesn't really matter how you feel.”
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