The main event of UFC 114 features two of the premier black athletes at the top of their game when Quentin “Rampage” Jackson meets “Suga” Rashad Evans in a tilt that goes beyond the cage. These two simply do not like each other. You thought the animosity between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley was bad? This makes their verbal sparring on HBO 24/7 seem like a lovers quarrel.

If you aren’t familiar, let me bring you up to speed. “Rampage” has long been a staple in mixed martial arts. Before coming to the UFC, Jackson made his impact overseas with the PRIDE FC organization. His monster slams and trash talking brought him to prominence before he came to the UFC as part of Zuffa purchasing PRIDE in 2007. Shortly after his arrival, he knocked out light heavyweight staple Chuck Liddell to earn the Light Heavyweight championship. He has lost it since then but still is one of the organizations most popular fighters.

Rashad Evans made his way into the UFC as the winner of  the second season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. Always considered the underdog, Evans remained undefeated for his first thirteen fights and won the UFC Light Heavyweight title by defeating the man who beat “Rampage” Jackson, Forrest Griffin. He, like Jackson, has also knocked out Chuck Liddell and also lost his title shortly after when Lyoto Machida knocked him out. He exudes confidence to the point where many mistake it as arrogance.

The two premier African American heavyweights are absolute polar opposites of one another. This point was punctuated when the two were matched up as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” and their personalities clashed over and over again. Evans got the better of “Rampage” as a coach but the two were always at odds, tormenting one another with harsh words and threats to knock each other out. This was supposed to culminate in a epic showdown at UFC 107. But Jackson bolted for a part in the upcoming “A-Team” movie and left Evans – and many fans – seething.

But now they will finally get it on in Las Vegas at UFC 114. The taunting and verbal sparring will finally be settled in the Octagon. As the days count down until the fight, a conference call featuring both fighters took place and all hell broke loose. Accusations were fired, the law was laid down and by the end of the call, the hype for the fight reached deafening levels.

Jackson went on the offensive by saying that fighting Evans would be a “step back” for his career.

“A win over Rashad would be like a moral victory for me,” Jackson said. “This guy isn’t on my level. I defended my title. I don’t like the way he talks to me. He’s real fake and real cocky. For someone who hasn’t really done much in this sport.”

Evans would fire right back at his UFC 114 opponent.

“Who am I to fight him? Who the (expletive) is he to fight me? I beat Forrest (Griffin), you lost to him,” Evans said. “Just because you’re black, stop acting stupid. I can’t stand that attitude. Rampage does his same old thing like black-on-black crime. He just acts like he doesn’t know what’s going on for comedy. I’ve talked to him before. He’s a smart guy. He just acts stupid.”

The dislike is evident. There is no playing the beef up to make fans more interested in the fight. The two genuinely don’t like each other. This makes their battle that much more compelling. If Mosley Vs Mayweather verbal sparring got you hyped, please don’t miss this fight. Check out the first episode of “UFC Primetime: Jackson Vs Evans” below.

Part 1

Part 2

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