The main event clash between Fedor Emelianenko and Quinton Jackson at Bellator 237 saw two of the biggest stars from the Pride Fighting Championships era return to the spiritual home of the now-defunct Japanese organization, and “Rampage” wasn’t going to let the occasion pass without serving up a large dose of nostagia.
Jackson gave a nod of appreciation to his old organization – which was run by the man who co-promoted Saturday’s card, Rizin boss Noboyuki Sakakibara – with his walkout to the cage, as the iconic Pride FC theme exploded from the speakers, accompanied by the distinctive voice of the “Screaming Pride Lady” herself, the legendary ring announcer Lenne Hardt.
For longtime fans of the sport, it was a real goosebumps moment as “Rampage”, wearing his trademark chain around his neck, walked slowly down the ramp in front of a packed Saitama Super Arena.
Unfortunately for Jackson, his 11th appearance at the famous Japanese venue (10 in MMA, 1 in kickboxing) didn’t pan out as he would have liked, as he was stopped by a big right hand from heavyweight legend Emelianenko mid-way through the opening round.
But while his in-cage performance may not live long in the memory, for those longtime fans of Japanese MMA’s iconic Pride FC promotion, “Rampage’s” walkout certainly will.
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