Is Rampage really giving up millions of dollars for the A-team?
by Zak Woods on Sep 17, 2009 10:21 AM EDT
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Dana White made his feelings known about Rampage skipping out on UFC 107 to be apart of the A-team movie. One comment particularly stood out as odd (in bold below),
You're gonna be a huge bonafide movie star with one role? They're not paying him jack. Okay? He's giving up literally millions of dollars to play Mr. T. If you think he's gonna go in and say ‘I pity the fool' and he's gonna become a huge serious actor off that role, give me a friggin' break...
Is it really true that Jackson is sacrificing a big pay day to play a bit role in a movie?
Maybe, but probably not.
Ultimately we will have to wait and see when Rampage and Rashad fight and how many pay-per view buys the fight generates before we can render a final judgment. One would certainly think that not fighting at the end of the TUF season will affect the publicity of the bout, but then again if Evans-Jackson is on the Super Bowl card it could do better PPV numbers then had it been in December.
The only way Jackson is truly sacrificing millions of dollars is if the Hollywood decision causes the UFC to detach themselves from the Rampage brand. The best way for Jackson to prevent that, if it is even happening, is to win (just ask Roger Huerta).
As with any athlete their principle commodity is their brand, which they have to rely upon in retirement. Playing a bit role in a potential blockbuster movie could raise Quintion's stock outside the Octagon. Jackson may be planting the seeds for a post-Zuffa career, which could generate revenue later in life. Let's be honest, there are a lot of shitty action movies (usually with Jason Statham or Vin Diesel) that Jackson could make some decent money playing "Rampage."
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I don’t know the particulars of Jackson’s contract or his relationship with Dana White or Lorenzo BUT I really think Rampage kind of betrayed Dana. Like I said, I don’t know the full deal but it seems like Dana White has been looking out for Rampage. The whole set up is about TUF leading into a huge match between the coaches. If the film, A-Team is popular then it may really help the UFC but time will tell.
But the whole giving up millions is a little bit exaggerated. Win or lose, a blockbuster film with A or B-list actors usually help charismatic athletes, see: Hulk Hogan and Duane “the Rock” Johnson. While Rampage doesn’t seem like the brightest fighter in the sport, he’s definitely entertaining. Not to mention he’s been steadily mentioning the need to take a rest and allow his body to heal . . . incidentally so if Wanderlei Silva.
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