King of the Cage founder recalls Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson exceeding expectations in his promotional debut: "There was something inside this man"
King of the Cage founder Terry Trebilcock recently recalled Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's impressive promotional debut in June 2000. He lavished praise on Jackson for showcasing his enormous potential.
'Rampage's debut came on short notice against Marvin Eastman, who had been a decorated collegiate wrestler. It appeared as though the bout was intended to showcase 'The Beastman', however, it ended up being one that shined a light on the Memphis native and put the wheels in motion for a successful MMA career.
Despite his valiant effort, Jackson came up short as he lost a unanimous decision to Eastman.
During his appearance on 'Rampage's JAXXON PODCAST, the King of the Cage founder described what he noticed during the bout and what surprised him most. Trebilcock mentioned that Jackson was resilient despite his lack of preparation and took advantage of his opportunity:
"We didn't know there was anything special about [Jackson] until during the fight. We saw a guy that shouldn't have been competitive and he was competitive...He was so tired he couldn't stand up in between rounds...A guy that trains three days for a fight shouldn't be able to do it, but there was something inside this man that's not inside of a lot of men in the world. I wish there was more."
Check out Terry Trebilcock's comments regarding Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson below:
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson avenged his loss to Marvin Eastman in the UFC
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Marvin Eastman's paths eventually crossed again years later and saw a much different outcome.
'Rampage' and 'The Beastman' competed at UFC 67 after the promotion had acquired their contracts following their buyout of World Fighting Alliance. Jackson had significantly improved through his tenure with Pride and made a statement with his new promotion.
Jackson earned a spectacular second-round knockout over Eastman to avenge his loss. It was a significant win as 'Rampage' was awarded a title shot against then light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 71, where he earned a first-round knockout to become the new champion.
Check out MMA History Today's tweet regarding Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Marvin Eastman 2 below: