By Brian Mallon
Having the heart of a champion is an intangible, difficult to gauge quality that can only be verified once an individual has stumbled, fallen, taken life’s licks and come back fighting. Liverpool based Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson showed this trait in abundance in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday night as he overcame the tough as nails Keith Jardine.
The licks in Jackson’s life have come by way of legal disputes, a well publicised brush with the law following his title fight to Forest Griffin, not to mention two punishing defeats to Wanderlai 'The Axe-Murderer' Silva.
This former light heavyweight kingpin dusted himself down, refocused and relocated to the less than fashionable training base of middleweight contender Michael Bisping, trading the all too familiar distractions and temptations of life Stateside for a home at The Wolfs Lair training academy in Widnes.
The results were there for all to see at the Nationwide Arena, as Jackson secured a unanimous decision victory and a very probable tilt at 'Sugar' Rashad Evans’ 205lb crown.
The first round of the headline bout saw Jackson struggle with Jardine’s unorthodox striking style and fluid lateral movement. By the second round 'Rampage' seemed to have gotten the Greg Jackson trained Jardine’s number, as a left hook dropped the 33-year-old perennial title contender.
While the third and final round was evenly contested, the once suspect cardio of Jackson proved to be his strength as a solid left hook at the end of the bout ensured victory on all three judges' scorecards.
Jackson re-claiming the light-heavyweight belt would take on added significance for MMA fans on this side of the Atlantic as it would be the first time a UFC title has found a home in The Wolfs Lair training academy.
Elsewhere on a jam-packed bill, wrestling powerhouse Shane Carwin added an A list scalp to his unblemished CV when he knocked out highly ranked Gabriel Gonzaga at only 1min 09secs of the first round, in their thunderous heavyweight clash.
Heavy leather was traded from the off as both men attempted to finish the night early. Gonzaga had Carwin in deep trouble following a solid right hand but the Denver native showed championship potential with a one punch knockout which made the entire heavyweight division stand up and take notice.
Welterweights Matt Brown and Pete 'Drago' Sell made no secret of their desire to indulge in a slugfest in their 170lb battle. It was Brown who put on the performance of the night as he overwhelmed his foe with a devastating display of Muay Thai striking.
Sell was unable to recover from the crowd favourite’s initial assault, as Brown pleaded with referee Yves Lavigne to halt the bout and save the courageous New Yorker from unnecessary punishment.
In a bout which may prove pivotal in the lightweight title picture, undefeated Randy Couture protégé Gray Maynard secured a unanimous decision victory over the always dangerous Jim Miller.
Maynard’s polished boxing and sheer wrestling strength proved a step too far for the outmatched New Jersey native as 'The Bully' demonstrated just how well rounded his game has become since his stint on TUF5.
With the announcement of a landmark German bill on 13 June, several Irish fighters, (most notably welterweight prospect Tom Egan) will be hoping to get their chance to shine in the sport's ultimate proving ground.
