UFC NEWS: Matt Hamill feels he's a "much more complete mixed martial artist" than Rampage Jackson

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wasn't too thrilled with taking a fight with Matt Hamill at UFC 130, until he found out Hamill requested the fight. That prompted a response from him saying he was going to "knock him into tomorrow" when they meet in May.

Now Hamill has made some comments about the fight, and says he believes he's a more complete fighter than the former Champ.

"I'm just glad Rampage accepted the fight," Hamill said in an interview with MMAjunkie.com. "I had my doubts if he would or not. I'm glad he's so motivated. He won't have any excuses when I beat him. I will prove I belong in the title mix at 205 (pounds).

"'Rampage' is an old-school brawler. I'm much more of a complete mixed martial artist. I have the heart to break his will, and I will make 'Rampage' very uncomfortable in this fight."

His manager, Duff Holmes, also commented on the fight, which took him out of a potential matchup with Phil Davis at UFC 129.

"If anything it will be an easier fight strategically than preparing for Phil Davis," Holmes said. "It's no secret that 'Rampage' likes to stand and bang. That's the reason I'll buy any pay per view that he's fighting on. He's always exciting to watch. I think Matt has the chin to take his best shot, the power in his hands to answer, and the skills and strength to put him in some bad situations on the ground."

UFC 130 takes place Memorial Day weekend from Las Vegas, headlined by a Lightweight Championship rematch between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: Technically Holmes may be right on that assessment, as Rampage hasn't used his ground game with any regularity in his UFC career. Davis presents a much more dynamic style to have to worry about at this point, but that's not to say Rampage isn't an extremely difficult fight. Hamill's got a good overall game, but his striking won't be up to Rampage's, and if he can't take Jackson down and work his wrestling game, he'll be in a lot of trouble. Still, comments like these will likely rile Rampage up a bit, which should hopefully in turn help him get more motivated for this matchup. It's not the most entertaining or inspiring bout, but I'm holding out hope that it will be a good fight regardless.

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger