Quinton Jackson started fighting professionally in 1999 and ran his record to a standout 10-1 before debuting for Japan's Pride Fighting Championships in 2001. Although he lost his debut fight to Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba via Rear Naked Choke, Jackson made a name for himself in the bout with a crowd-pleasing showcase of reckless abandon, repeatedly slamming “The Gracie Hunter” to the canvas in an awesome display of power. It would prove to be a coming out moment for one of MMA's brightest stars. “Rampage” subsequently established himself as a true talent at 205 lbs., and an enormous crowd draw. He collected dominant victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Chuck Liddell, and Ricardo Arona over his next three years in Pride, utilizing his trademark slams and powerbombs to end more than one bout, along with a very heavy pair of fists.

Following the collapse of Pride and a stint outside of a major promotion, Rampage made his long-awaited debut in the UFC in 2007 with a knockout win over Marvin Eastman, the first man to ever defeat him. Jackson then took the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from longtime champion Liddell, defeating him for a second time, before successfully defending the belt against Pride champion Dan Henderson the same year.

When the UFC 205 lb. belt changed hands from Liddell to Jackson, the mantle of the UFC's biggest star arguably changed hands as well. Jackson would begin to enjoy the crossover fame in popular culture that few other fighters besides Liddell and Randy Couture possessed. Jackson lost his title to Forrest Griffin in a close upset in 2008, but remains one of the most dangerous light heavyweights in the world after earning wins over nemesis Wanderlei Silva, and veteran Keith Jardine.

Jackson was a junior college amateur wrestler before entering the world of professional MMA, but it would be his natural blend of raw strength and stunning knockout power that would help to build him into one of the most intimidating fighters in the light heavyweight division for over a decade. Though he depended on natural talent and power in his early days, Jackson has worked with renowned MMA trainers and coaches in recent years to improve his skillset, including the U.K.-based Wolfslair MMA Academy, and has made noticeable improvements in his striking accuracy and conditioning.

Even without a championship belt, Jackson has continued to increase his popular appeal in recent years, and is one of the most successful MMA athletes in the world in business and entertainment ventures outside of the cage. Jackson landed a starring role in 2010’s remake of The A-Team, in which he played B.A. Baracus, the role previously held by Mr. T.

Jackson boasts a flair for the dramatic finish, and has been a part of some of MMA’s most memorable bouts, including his extraordinary knockouts of Ricardo Arona and Chuck Liddell. He was also on the receiving end of a pair of all-time cringeworthy defeats via Muay Thai knee strikes to Wanderlei Silva. A boastful crowd pleaser before a fight, Jackson nevertheless endears himself to fans by remaining gracious and humble in the face of his defeats, which remain exceedingly hard to come by.