UFC 96 Breakdown: The Main Card

Quinton Jackson vs. Keith Jardine

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’1/205 lbs.
Age: 30
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Fighting out of: Irvine, Calif.
Team: Wolfslair Academy
Record: 29-7

The breakdown: Once upon a time, the solution to any in-cage problem for Jackson was to slam his opponent and, if said foe still had a grip on consciousness after the fact, slam him again. While a much-celebrated overhaul by former trainer and manager Juanito Ibarra revived Jackson’s stagnating post-Pride Fighting Championships career, it seems that the high-impact slams of yesteryear have been replaced by a style that emphasizes orthodox boxing.

That will be a problem when Jackson tangles with Jardine, whose leg kicks are known for their limb-splitting potency. What’s worse, Jackson has long been vulnerable to leg kicks, and opponents are starting to zone in on that weakness after Forrest Griffin made them the lynchpin of his strategy against Jackson at UFC 86.

Jackson needs to follow the gameplan his archrival, Wanderlei Silva, used to great effect against Jardine at UFC 84; close the gap early, and go after Jardine’s suspect chin.

The X factor: The mixed martial arts world saw Jackson go from dominant to dilapidated after Griffin turned his base to mush with a single leg kick at UFC 86. Unless Jackson comes out ready to check and counter Jardine’s leg kicks, be on standby for a post-fight fasting ritual and vehicular public relations nightmare for UFC President Dana White.

Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’2/205 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Butte, Mont.
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
Team: Jackson’s MMA
Record: 14-4-1

The breakdown: Figuring out Jardine is a difficult proposition. While he has loaded his resume with upset wins over the likes of Griffin and Chuck Liddell, he also has a 36-second knockout loss to Silva on his ledger. And try as he may, the memory of a 48-second KO loss to Houston Alexander just will not go away.

The lesson in both those losses is that Jardine is successful when he controls the tempo and distance in his bouts. Thanks to lacking hand speed and a porcelain vase chin, Jardine needs to use his powerful leg kicks to keep Jackson at bay and create a more stationary target for his looping but powerful punches.

Considering Jackson’s best punches -- the hook and uppercut -- require close-quarters combat, Jardine needs to start this fight on his horse and draw Jackson towards him before unloading well-timed leg kicks.

The X factor: Jardine loves a good scrap, and that brawler’s mentality has gotten him in trouble before. Typically, Jardine is at his best when he balances his aggression with tactical precision. Striking that perfect balance while under fire from Jackson will be the biggest test of Jardine’s Octagon career.

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The bottom line: Take your pick. Either Jardine will give Jackson a case of Gumby legs, or he will end up doing the face-up Ickey shuffle courtesy of a “Rampage” knuckle buffet. While muay Thai remains Jackson’s kryptonite until proven otherwise, Jardine’s defense is notoriously porous, and his unorthodox striking means he needs time to establish his range and rhythm.

That’s time he will not be afforded, as Jackson will use deft footwork to close the gap and force Jardine into the trenches, where “Rampage” will be victorious.