UFC legend Rampage Jackson said that he is OK with referee Herb Dean stopping King Green’s fight against Esteban Ribovics when he did.
Green was knocked out by Ribovics in their UFC 332 lightweight bout, which was the featured fight on the main card.
The veteran lightweight complained about the stoppage, as he was still conscious, but at the same time, he was dropped three times by Ribovics, so Dean’s stoppage was acceptable, even though UFC president Dana White later joked that Dean was having a bad year after being involved in several controversial calls this year.
Jackson, who was in Green’s corner for the fight, also thought the stoppage was okay, even though it was hard to see his fighter get beaten up the way he did.
Rampage Jackson OK With King Green Stoppage
Speaking on a Kick stream after the fight, Jackson told Green that he was OK with the stoppage because he didn’t want to see Green take any unnecessary damage.
“You put on a show before you worry about your safety. No matter what, you kept going. I know exactly what you’re saying, but we don’t think about the wear and tear that we have on our body. That’s what they be thinking about. Like, you’re my brother, I wanted to see you win, but that might have been the bad decision. What we don’t think about in fighting is that (expletive) adds up,” Jackson said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Green, however, was adamant that Dean stopped the fight too early.
“I don’t plan on living long. Let me (expletive) go! I live life right now and today. Let me go out on my shield. I’m a real gangster. … I look at death right in his eye. I’m that risky. I’m watching (expletive) like Dragon Ball Z, and you’ll see them do this (move around). I’m doing (expletive) I see in the cartoon, but in real life!” Jackson said.
“Let me fight! I don’t plan on living long! Let me f*cking go! I’m a real gangster, n***a. I look at death right in his face. I watch Dragon Ball Z, I’m doing sh*t I see in the cartoon!”
Rampage Jackson Doesn’t Like Cornering Fighters
Speaking to Nina Drama after the fight was over, Jackson admitted that he doesn’t like to corner fighters, but he did it because Green is a good friend of his and he wanted to do him a favor, even though he admits it was difficult to watch him get knocked out the way that he did.
“I don’t really corner. Bobby asked me to corner him, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to do all that,’ but I didn’t want to say no. Bobby’s an entertainer. He’s going to bring it no matter what. It’s just, for me, he’s my boy. He’s like my brother. It just sucks seeing one of your boys get beat, but it happens. It’s part of the job,” Jackson said.
“I said I don’t wanna do it. But he’s such a good guy, I didn’t wanna say no. It just sucks to see one of your boys get beat.”
The 40-year-old Green had won four straight UFC fights before this loss to Ribovics, so this is no doubt a setback in his career as he was making a run up the lightweight ladder in the latter stages of his career. But either way, he’s a fan favorite and someone fans love to watch scrap.
Rampage Jackson OK With Herb Dean Stopping King Green Fight