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21/04/09 - Exclusive: Rampage to get August title shot
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson has been pencilled in for an August shot at the light-heavyweight title, Fighters Only has been told.
Former champion Jackson might headline either UFC 102 or UFC 103, the latter possibly being a UK event, according to an industry source.
He would face either Rashad Evans or Lyoto Machida, depending on the outcome of their UFC 98 fight next month.
Jackson held the light-heavyweight belt from May 2007, when he took it from Chuck Liddell, to July 2008, when he lost it to Forrest Griffin.
Griffin then lost it to Rashad Evans in his first title defence and Evans will make his first defence against Machida.
With 13 and 14 wins respectively, Both Evans and Machida are unbeaten in their careers and the match is the first time that two unbeaten fighters have competed for the UFC light-heavyweight belt.
Jackson has beaten both Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine since losing the title, ensuring that his name stays at the top of the contenders list.
He was offered a chance to fight for the belt at UFC 98 after Brock Lesnar v Frank Mir was cancelled and the UFC needed a replacement headline bout.
But injuries and the close proximity of his previous two fights meant that he was forced to tuern the opportunity down, allowing Machida to step in.
John Joe O'Regan
john.fightersonly@gmail.com
Correction: The first version of this article stated that the winner of Evans-Machida would be the first-ever undefeated UFC light-heavyweight belt holder.That was of course completely wrong, as Evans has already claimed that honour. Thanks to everybody who emailed with this correction. I was caught slipping on this one :) - JJ
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