Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson reflects on being a rookie and training with Tito Ortiz: "It made me a better fighter"
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson recently reflected on his experience training with Tito Ortiz when he was just a rookie in MMA and how it factored into his development. The eventual UFC light heavyweight champion was surrounded by elite fighters, and so he was in an environment that had a positive impact on his career.
At the time, 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' was among the top fighters in the UFC, while 'Rampage' was just getting started and learning about the sport. Being tested often resulted in a much quicker development than if he trained with others who were also rookies starting their careers.
During a recent episode of his JAXXON PODCAST, the former UFC light heavyweight champion told his guest, NBA legend Dominique Wilkins that he humbled himself early on and was eager to improve. Jackson mentioned that he trained with both Ortiz and former heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez, and highlighted a major difference with his mentality and approach to training:
"I came in and I trained with Tito Ortiz and Ricco Rodriguez...Ricco was a heavyweight, I didn't mind going with bigger guys and they took turns kicking my a**, but it made me a better fighter...I got good really fast...but the difference between me [and them] was, after my fight, I would only take a week off and I'll be back in the gym. They would take months off and maybe like a year or so, I was better than them."
Check out Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's comments below:
Basketball legend Dominique Wilkins tells Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson rookie tradition in the NBA
Dominique Wilkins was an exceptional player throughout his Hall of Famer basketball career and disclosed a rookie tradition in the NBA when he got into the league.
During the aforementioned episode, Wilkins told Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson that the rookies would be stuck paying the bill when their team went for dinner the first time:
"My first year in training camp and we go eat, right? And they said, 'We're gonna go to this restaurant and everybody's going to eat'...So we go to the restaurant, everybody ordered what they wanted, at the end of the meal, they said, 'Rook, take care of the bill'...That's a lot of money. They said, 'We're gonna get it one way or the other, so you might as well pay for it'...You gotta pay your dues, but every team did it."
Check out Dominique Wilkins' comments below: