Race no concern for ‘Rampage’ Jackson

Jackson, one of the sport’s premier fighters, will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title against Forrest Griffin in the main event of UFC 86 tonight at Mandalay Bay.

He has made a name for himself as one of the most outgoing and humorous fighters around and has left his race out of it for the most part.

But it is hard to ignore the fact the UFC’s light heavyweight champion is by far the most prominent black in a sport that is exploding in other demographics but has been slower to catch on in the black community.

“Be honest, white folks need a sport like” mixed martial arts, he said. “Blacks and Mexicans took over boxing. Football and basketball have got black folks. And baseball.

“I’m not a hater. I’m happy for white folks that they’ve got MMA. It just so happens that I was pretty good at it.”

Jackson, a born-again Christian with four children, insists race is a nonissue and he doesn’t feel any added pressure to be a role model to younger black fighters.

“I’m not fighting so more black people will get into fighting. Black people can do whatever they want to do. White people can do whatever they want to do. I’m not a racial person,” he said. “I don’t care what race people do what. I’m just making money the best way I know how.”

He even shrugs off the way he was treated while fighting for the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan.

When he was brought into that organization, he was instructed to portray a “crazy, homeless” man. Pride perpetuated the image to the point that even a year into his career in Japan, some fans were shocked Jackson had a home.

“I didn’t care. I was just happy to be making money,” he says now. “They chose to market me as homeless. The funny thing was the fans actually believed it.”

Still, Jackson, who just turned 30, downplays the racial implications.

“In Japan, it’s a different type of racism,” he said. “They don’t like people just because they’re not from there. They hate white people most of all.”

Thus far, the UFC has marketed him as just a fighter with a strong personality.

“I believe the reason (our organization and reality show) have been so successful is because we don’t play games like that,” UFC president Dana White said. “You let the guys be who they are. Some people will like them and some won’t, but as long as they care one way or the other, that’s good.”

But White also is a promoter and knows that the more people get interested in the sport, the better for business.

“There’s a lot of markets we’re still trying to reach. We’re the biggest pay-per-view draw in the U.S. right now, but we’ve just scratched the surface,” he said. “There’s still a lot of markets out there, and that’s just one of them.”

Jackson’s opponent tonight doesn’t need any more marketing. Thunderous applause greeted Griffin, a Las Vegan, at Friday’s weigh-ins.

“Nice to be fighting at home,” he said.

Jackson, on the other hand, was booed by a majority of the crowd.

But, while Griffin will go in as the crowd favorite, he is a decided underdog. Jackson is about a minus-250 favorite in most sports books.

The fight between Patrick Cote and Ricardo Almeida is much closer to a pick ’em. The winner of the middleweight clash will be next in line for the title this year after Anderson Silva defends against Yushin Okami.

Josh Koscheck will take on Chris Lytle in a matchup of former reality show contestants. Joe Stevenson and Las Vegan Tyson Griffin also will be featured in separate lightweight bouts.

Gabriel Gonzaga fought for the UFC heavyweight title in August, but after two straight losses, he finds himself off the main card taking on Justin McCully.

The nine-fight card will begin at 5 p.m., with the pay-per-view telecast beginning live at 7.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@ reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.