UFC 92 features the biggest card of top UFC fighters slated on one card in recent memory. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will try to avenge his two losses to Wanderlei Silva, while TUFF season 8 coaches Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will clash to see who will face UFC heavy weight champion Brock Lesnar for the gold. Finally, the undefeated star Rashad “Sugar” Evans will face current UFC lightweight champion Forrest Griffin for his first tile defense at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada December 27.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, now training in the UK, believes that he has moved forward since he lost the title in July to current UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. He also said he has grown since his two losses (in Pride) to Wanderlei Silva.

“Everybody knows I hate training, but when it comes to my fight I work hard; I train hard. Fights are fights, you win ‘em and you lose ‘em, you know what I’m say’n? You train hard and you come back. I have no excuses. Wanderlei said that in our last two fights that I made excuses for my losses and he was right, I’ll give him that. I made excuses. I’m a grown man now, I’m thirty years-old and I’m not making anymore excuses. Who want to hear excuses? I’m a whole new man and I’m putting my best foot forward.”

Rampage hopes to decisively end the fight with Silva on his own terms in order to prevent a similar outcome as was the case in his unanimous decision title loss to Griffin at UFC 86.

“In my mind you know what I’m say’n, I’m still the champion you know? I’m not gonna let some judges tell me if I’m gonna win or lose the fight. Sometimes I felt like I lost a fight that I won, in my mind it was a loss, but people gave it to me and it’s on my record as a win; but it my mind it’s a loss. Same thing vice versa, the judges said that I lost and it goes on my record as a loss, but in my mind I won. In my mind I feel like, you know what I’m say’n, I’m supposed to be the champion. This time I trained like I’m a champion and I’m acting like a champion. I want my belt back, you know what I’m say’n and I’m gonna get my belt back.”

Ill feelings between Rampage and Silva have been the topic of many discussions, although both men remained relatively cordial with their comments towards the other.

“It ain’t no secret that Wanderlei has anything against me. I’m the type of person, I don’t hate nobody you know what I’m say’n? I like some people more than I like other people, but I’m a professional. This is my job you know what I’m say’n? I’m not here to be friends with everybody. I’m in my own little world.”

Silva replied with his thoughts on Rampage.

“Of course I respect everybody. He’s a great fighter and a very, very tough guy; he’s a top two you know, and the last champion. Of course a fight is a fight and he’s my opponent. I’m just doing my job. I’m a professional too, no problem,” said Silva.

Silva seems to have stayed out of the trap of over-confidence. He stated that he has been preparing for his best performance yet in the third installment against the former UFC champion.

“I’m feeling very well because I won two times. Now is a different time,” said Silva. “I know he’s a tough guy. I’ve been training every day, every time. I’m looking forward to this match and I’m working three or four hours every day. I know I’m going to have my best conditioning. For the final time now Nogueira comes in for some training with us in my gym. He’s so strong and so tall too. I have a very, very good surprise for Quinton on December 27.”

The last man to defeat Rampage and current UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin will defend his title for the first time against the undefeated, number one contender Rashad Evans at UFC 92.

“Next time Quinton and me fight, that’s something you know that I actually put a little thought into. I actually watched that fight you know, to see what was what from a stand point of what I need to do better. But ugh, I’m not fight’n Quinton, I’m fight’n Rashad,” said Griffin.

“My expectation and my goal is to always win the next fight, the next fight in front of me; I like that. It’s very simple you know, it allows you to kind of focus on one thing. If your goal is to say, “Hey, I’m gonna do this or do that,” you know, one you sound kind of dumb or you sound ridiculous or egocentric and two you’re not focused on what you need to do, which is just win this fight you know?”

Griffin understands that Evans has a wide range of tactics at his disposal and is extremely dangerous in every aspect of the fight game.

“He’s explosive, athletic, and he’s got a great wrestling background. He’s got some really powerful striking. He’s knocked people out with hands, feet, standing, and down on the ground you know? He’s knocked people out every way with different things.”

Griffin has been training with the man who knows it all when it comes to preparing for a title defense; UFC legend Randy Couture.

“I try to take a couple of things that I’ve learned from Randy just about tapering down you know? It’s a hard thing to do you know, you get in the gym and you start thinking about the fight and you know, you want to go really hard and you have flat days. You wanna make sure that you time it, you schedule your body right so you don’t have a flat day on fight day.”

Griffin, winner of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter, gave his thoughts about the latest crop of young UFC hopefuls and their over the top behavior in the house.

“It’s become accepted and expected. The guys watch the show and each time you kinda wanna top the guys, you know, that came before you. I think it’s almost a sense of pushing the envelope; trying to raise the bar you know? That guy did this and he got away with that; well then? You know it’s a rarity, but they have kicked people off the show, but it’s a rarity you know?”

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