JACKSON IS READY TO `RAMPAGE'.

Byline: MIGUEL LOPEZ Staff Writer

He says it is the best move the UFC has ever made, he will take the U.S. fans by storm and he will help the sport grow even more than it recently has.

All this can be called an understatement from only oneperson, Quinton ``Rampage'' Jackson, as he says he has been waiting to step into the Octagon since he was first informed he was one of the UFC's newest acquisitions and its best to date.

The Tennessee native, who now fights out of Irvine, will finally get his chance Saturday night at UFC 67 in Las Vegas when he faces Marvin Eastman.

``I did get excited when I heard the news,'' said Jackson, who last fought and won against Matt Lindland in July 2006. ``I have been a UFC fan for a long time, and I know my buddy Tito Ortiz has been making millions of dollars with them, and I want to make millions of dollars with them. ... I have a few things I can do with that money.''

His last outing was his first and last fight with the now defunct World Fighting Alliance. In that card, Jackson's bout was the co-main event at the Forum in Inglewood, but the organization didn't sell as many tickets as it predicted and didn't get the pay-per-view sales it expected. After that, the WFA slowly fell apart to the point where the company was bought by UFC's parent company, Zuffa, last December.

With the purchase, Jackson and his remaining two fights -- and the thick, metal chain he wears around his neck -- made their way to the Octagon and arguably the biggest mixed martial arts stage in the world.

``I had two fights left with WFA when UFC picked it up, so as of now I have two fights here,'' Jackson said. ``I knew things weren't going right with WFA when I was scheduled to fight in October and that fight was pushed back.''

Jackson, who is known to most by his moniker ``Rampage,'' now gets a fresh start with the UFC after spending five years in Japan. He has become one of the most feared strikers in the sport by compiling wins over Kevin Randleman, Ricardo Arona, Igor Vovchanchyn and, most impressively, over current UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell en route to a career 25-6 record.

Looking to add win No. 26, Jackson will take on the veteran Eastman (13-6-1) in his UFC debut. Eastman handed Jackson his first career loss in 2000. Along with the chance to avenge his first defeat, Jackson also has the challenge of fighting in a cage. When he fought with FC Pride, the Japanese organization used a ring not a cage.

``Fighting in the Octagon is not going to affect me in anyway,'' said Jackson, who will fight in the U.S. for only the second time since 2002. ``I could fight in a phone booth or in a bathtub; it doesn't matter where you fight. If you are a good fighter it doesn't matter where it happens.

``I do miss fighting in Japan. I like how you went to a different country, and we're in a place where they spoke a different language. I miss having Asian fans come and ask me for my autograph ... it was fun out there. But now that I am here, I want the U.S. fans to know what I am all about.''

As for his opponent, Eastman, on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, Jackson said: ``I think he is a worthy opponent and somebody you don't want to underestimate. Anything can happen in the Octagon, but I am sure he has some tricks up his sleeve.''

Jackson isn't considering his upcoming match a ``tune-up'' fight, but fans of the sport look forward to seeing him walk through Eastman and earn a title shot against UFC champion Liddell. The pair first met in 2003, with Jackson getting the win over Liddell via TKO, and to this date, he is the last person to stop the 205-pound champion.

But Jackson doesn't want any specific fighter, he just wants to fight and get a payday.

``I get asked anywhere from 10to 100 times a day, every day about when am I going to fight Chuck, and 10 to 100 times a day I tell them I don't know. It's not up to me, ask Dana White,'' Jackson said, referring to UFC's president. ``I need to start wearing a T-shirt that says, `Ask Dana White when am I going to fight Chuck.' But I love my fans.''

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Quinton ``Rampage'' Jackson enters the Octagon for the first time Saturday at UFC 67. Jackson is 25-6 with a win over Chuck Liddell.

UFC.com