• UFC 123

White agrees as judges hand Rampage split decision

Quinton Rampage Jackson 'thought he got his ass whooped' © Getty Images

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There will be no rematch following Quinton Rampage Jackson's controversial UFC 123 victory over Lyoto Machida, despite the fact Rampage thought Machida had won at the final klaxon.

Having finished on the wrong end of the most clinical round registered in Saturday night's main event, Rampage got to his feet and raised Machida's arm, only to later wear a shocked expression as the judges handed him a split decision.

"I had just got done getting punched in the face," Jackson said. "My trainers and everybody told me I won the fight. But it was one of those things where I thought I had got my ass whooped because I was just on the ground taking a flurry in the face."

Machida had definitely won the third round. He visibly hurt Jackson with a five-punch flurry, typical of the karateka's sniper-like attack, and then he put Rampage on his back in order to search for a late armbar. However, it was the first two rounds that cost The Dragon a second consecutive defeat following his light-heavyweight title loss to Mauricio Shogun Rua in May.

Jackson made the more aggressive advances, throwing hands in an attempt to starve Machida of the time he desires, and in the clinch the greater work was coming from the American in the form of foot stomps. Machida largely rendered his hands redundant as he chopped away at Rampage's legs with kicks, but UFC president Dana White was in no mood to consider a rematch at the final bell - clearly believing Jackson had won the fight.

"That's not the fight I saw," White said when asked if Machida had won. "[Machida] put on that burst where he landed five or six punches but there was no knockdown. You don't win a fight by landing five or six punches. It's a three-round fight. You win two of the rounds, then you're the winner.

"Rampage fought a brilliant fight tonight. I loved the way that every time Machida would throw a leg kick -- here's the thing, if Rampage fights the way he usually does and Machida keeps throwing those leg kicks, Rampage wouldn't have been able to walk after the second round.

"But every time Machida would throw that leg kick, Rampage would come forward and fire. When they would clinch, Rampage would do damage the entire time. I thought he fought a brilliant fight and the type of fight he had to against Machida. As far as I'm concerned, and as far as the judges are concerned, Rampage won the fight."

Victory was satisfying for Jackson, who had entered as the underdog following his lacklustre defeat to Rashad Evans last time out. And he confessed it was a recent interview that inspired his turnaround in fortunes.

"One of the people interviewing me remembered me from my PRIDE days and he gave me the most heartwarming interview, I almost broke into tears," Jackson said. "He said back in PRIDE, I had a different style and asked me why I don't fight that way anymore.

"I told him I guess it's that energy from the crowd. Back then, I fought for honour and respect then I came here and I was making way more money than I ever had and I got greedy. I was fighting for the dollars. I wanted to come out and get that old spirit back."

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