After Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's win over Matt Hamill at UFC 130, he gave an interview to MMA Heat reporter Karyn Bryant. When answering her questions, he commented on her looks, said she was making him "horny," then put his head into her chest to mimic "motorboating."
Bryant laughed off the incident. If it were me, I don't know if I could do the same. Most of the times that I've met and interviewed Jackson, he's been fine. He hasn't been a joy to interview, but he hasn't been rude and certainly hasn't assaulted me.
What's different? My interviews are rarely on video. I prefer to write my stories, so Jackson doesn't have quite the stage as he does on when interviewed with a video camera. Jackson's worst actions -- assaulting Bryant, grabbing a Cage Potato reporter, threatening MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani and hitting Cagewriter's own Steve Cofield in the crotch -- happen when he's on camera.
His act is tired and old, yet we continue to interview the man and give him the publicity he needs to further his career, and that's where MMA media is making the mistake. He thinks it's funny to assault the people who cover his fights, who write about his movie, who give him a stage to show off the "Rampage" persona.
Let's stop doing that. Take away his stage. Don't ask him questions in press conferences, don't cover his every move, don't give him another chance to assault reporters. He may think his act is funny and cute, but there is one way to ensure that no one else finds it funny or cute. Don't cover it.
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