Can Quinton Jackson defeat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan? – UFC Special
The 33-year-old American mixed martial art (MMA) fighter Quinton Jackson is set to face compatriot MMA fighter Ryan Bader at UFC 144. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be holding the event in Saitama, Japan on February
26, 2012.
Jackson has been waiting to fight in Japan for a long time. The last time he fought in Japan was at Pride 31 in February 2006 against Yoon Dong-Sik. At UFC 144 he would have his hands full against an equally balanced fighter who
can give Jackson a tough time.
With the eagerness at which Jackson has been talking about UFC 144, it is obvious that he will prove his worth in Japan against Bader. But the question is can Jackson win at UFC 144? Jackson has been an intimidating competitor
feared by all of his opponents. Inside the octagon fighting ring, Jackson has proven his agility, fighting skills and aggressive tactical manoeuvres many times. Against Bader he would try to bring the same force he is famous for.
Jackson made his successful professional MMA debut in November 1999 against Mike Pyle. For the past twelve years Jackson has proven his might by winning thirty-two bouts and losing nine. He enjoyed an eight fight winning streak
from July 2000 to June 2001. He lost against Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride 15 in July 2001. This was Jackson’s Pride debut where he lost in the first round of the bout. Jackson’s second winning streak came from April 2002 to November 2003 where he won seven bouts.
After proving his worth and credibility in Pride Fighting Championships, King of the Cage (KOTC) and other MMA promotions, Jackson made his entry into the UFC in February 2007. He made a successful debut when he defeated Marvin
Eastman at UFC 67. In his second ever bout for the UFC, Jackson won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship by beating Chuck Liddell at UFC 71. He successfully defended his title against Dan Henderson at UFC 75 in September 2007 but lost the title to Forrest
Griffin at UFC 86 in July 2008.
Although Jackson would be thinking of finishing Bader early in the match, perhaps by a knockout or by a submission, he should not take Bader lightly. If Jackson has a great run in the MMA and UFC career, then Bader too, has been
a tough competitor. Bader began his professional MMA career in March 2007 against compatriot fighter Dave Covello. He remained undefeated since the beginning of his MMA career and won twelve straight bouts.
This could intimidate Jackson when he faces him at UFC 144, but Jackson is not the kind of fighter who would be intimidated by his opponent’s winning streaks. In reality, Bader should be the one who would be intimidated by Jackson
and his muscular built which has taken out opponents in a flash.
Jackson has defeated MMA and UFC fighters with the likes of Mauricio Rua, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. At UFC both Jackson and Bader would be meeting each other for
the first time. Jackson, in my opinion, will be motivated when he would enter UFC 144 because he has missed the chance to become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
He did win the bout against Matt Hamill at UFC 130 which was the UFC Light Heavyweight title eliminator match but Jackson could not win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout against Jon Jones at UFC 135 in September 2011.
Jackson will not only go for a win but he will most certainly take out his frustration on Bader inside the UFC octagon fighting ring. Jackson would be fighting in Japan the place he dreamed of fighting for a long time.
This will give him the motivation to give his best shots and secure a win. Bader can be destructive, but Jackson can be devastating if he manages to powerbomb Bader for a knockout just the way he knocked out Ricardo Arona by his
powerbomb at Pride Critical Countdown event in June 2004.
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