Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has never shied away from telling a wild story, but even Michael Bisping and Al Iaquinta weren’t prepared for what he dropped on them. During a recent episode of Believe You Me, Bisping’s podcast, Jackson took them back to a time when his life was spiraling out of control—stuck in jail, broke, and uncertain about his future. But in a shocking twist, a last-minute bailout sent him straight to Japan for a $10,000 fight against Kazushi Sakuraba. It wasn’t just the money that made it memorable. Jackson was thrown into one of PRIDE’s most theatrical spectacles—lowered into the arena from the ceiling in front of 75,000 people. The sheer chaos of the moment left Bisping and Iaquinta stunned.

Jackson’s story didn’t start in a training camp or a planned fight deal—it started behind bars. “I had just got out of jail. It was like 20 police officers there pointing at me saying get on the ground,” he recalled. At the time, Jackson’s career was barely taking off. But rather than letting his arrest derail him, MMA promoter Terry Trebilcock stepped in. “Terry Trebilcock bailed me out and then I flew to Japan,” Jackson said. Trebilcock, the founder of King of the Cage, had an eye for raw talent, and Jackson had the potential to be a star. But nobody expected his next move to be a PRIDE debut against one of Japan’s biggest legends.

Once he landed in Japan, things escalated quickly. PRIDE, known for its dramatic storytelling, turned his real-life troubles into part of the fight’s promotion. “They promoted me as this bad guy coming out of jail to fight Sakuraba,” Jackson explained. For PRIDE, it was a spectacle. For Jackson, it was a terrifying reality. The massive arena, the pageantry, and the opponent all hit him at once. “They lowered us from the ceiling to the cage, and I was f***** scared,” he admitted. “This my first big fight, and I was broke as f***.”

For all the uncertainty and fear, there was one thing that convinced Jackson to take the fight: money. “They payin’ me 10,000 dollars cash to fight this guy named Sakuraba that I never heard of,” he said. At the time, $10,000 was a massive sum for a newcomer. Most early-2000s MMA fighters weren’t making anywhere near that. Jackson didn’t even hesitate. “I didn’t care how scared I am, for 10,000 dollars I was gonna do it.”

But Jackson had no idea what he was in for. When he first laid eyes on Sakuraba, he was unimpressed. “I said this little itty b**** I gotta fight? Goddamn!” Reality set in once he stepped inside the arena. “We open up and the crowd, we had like 75,000 people in the arena. It blew me away.” The size of the crowd, the atmosphere, and the realization of who Sakuraba was hit him all at once.

That fight against Sakuraba wasn’t just a one-off payday—it was the start of Rampage Jackson’s legacy in PRIDE. At first, he was seen as a throwaway opponent. PRIDE often brought in foreign fighters to feed to their established stars (is there a lesson somewhere here for Dana White?), and Jackson wasn’t expected to last long. He was an unknown American with raw power but no experience on the global stage. Against Sakuraba, one of Japan’s most beloved fighters, he was brought in to lose. But Jackson had no interest in being a background character.

The paycheck that changed Rampage Jackson’s career

Even though he lost to Sakuraba, he showed enough grit to earn another fight. Then another. And another. With each appearance, he chipped away at PRIDE’s expectations. He wasn’t just surviving—he was making statements. His slams became legendary, none more devastating than when he knocked out Ricardo Arona with a powerbomb that still ranks as one of the most brutal finishes in MMA history. His fights turned into wars, whether it was his battle with Igor Vovchanchyn or his unforgettable rivalry with Wanderlei Silva. The more PRIDE put obstacles in front of him, the more Jackson smashed through them. What started as a quick paycheck in PRIDE laid the groundwork for a Hall of Fame career. By the time he left, Jackson had gone from an overlooked, broke fighter to one of the most dangerous men in the division.

As Jackson unraveled the events on the podcast, Bisping and Iaquinta could hardly believe what they were hearing. The combination of chaos, luck, and sheer willpower clearly makes for one of the most absurd MMA origin stories ever told. Bisping, who is no stranger to fights on massive stages himself, laughed at the idea of being thrown into such a spectacle unprepared. Iaquinta, known for taking short-notice fights, admitted even he wouldn’t have jumped in that fast. But in the end, Jackson’s gamble paid off. What started as a quick paycheck in PRIDE, hindsight now shows was actually the beginning of one of the most illustrious MMA careers in history, one that is both deeply envied and deeply admired.