There hasn't been time for UFC to have an aging athlete disrespected, forgotten or fallen from grace. However they do have a former champion who is in a much more important battle than any scheduled bout. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation earlier this week. Jackson is insane in the octagon, he enters with a chain hanging from his neck and lets out a menacing howl before he is introduced.
I thought it was all an act, not Jackson was actually insane. Now maybe it's genetic and it has nothing to do with UFC but something tells me his mental issues could not have been helped by taking knees, elbows and punches to the head. Old boxers have suffered from permanent brain damage, could Jackson be the start of the same trend for boxing's distant cousin mixed martial arts?
Looking into the future, UFC must protect it's athletes not allowing them to fall from grace without the support of the league they put so much into. Hopefully Jackson is the exception not the rule, however unfortunately I see several ultimate fighters retiring like Rocky Balboa, unable to finish a sentence.
No comments:
Post a Comment