On this day in 2004, an MMA legend delivered one of the sport`s most devastating knockouts of all time.
It`s easy to see why Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was a major star at his peak.
His charisma certainly played a role, but his ruthless power was key to his rise to the top in both PRIDE and the UFC.
While Jackson has a preferred UFC knockout, his time competing in Japan featured one defining highlight that stands out above the rest.
Two years after a dominant slam KO over Masaaki Satake, Jackson delivered the most iconic finish of his career with an even more brutal slam.
Joe Rogan discussed the damage Ricardo Arona sustained from Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson`s slam
Entering PRIDE Critical Countdown on this day in 2004, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was looking for a rematch with his great rival, Wanderlei Silva.
He was matched against grappling specialist Ricardo Arona, who had quickly established himself in the Japanese promotion, winning three consecutive fights against opponents like Guy Mezger, Dan Henderson, and Murilo Rua.
Just past the seven-minute mark of their fight, Arona attempted to lock up a triangle choke from his back, which appeared to be tightening around ‘Rampage’.
Jackson`s response to this submission threat was to use his pure strength to lift his opponent high into the air before driving him back down to the mat with devastating impact.
Arona was instantly knocked unconscious after his head collided with the canvas. Joe Rogan later reflected on this finish during an episode of the JRE MMA Show alongside Jackson.
The UFC commentator went on to suggest that this single slam might be the most forceful impact anyone has ever taken in mixed martial arts.
“You got your whole body like this and he’s over the top of your head. That’s so much force. That may be the hardest anybody’s ever been hit in this sport because look at the amount of travel he does. Bro, you got him like 12 feet in the air, look at that. He goes straight, and you were powerful as f— back then.”
Joe Rogan commented that Ricardo Arona was never the same after the slam
During a separate episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan spoke about the knockout again, once more highlighting the significant damage Ricardo Arona suffered.
“I mean that dude definitely could have died. He probably got the worst trauma, the worst brain trauma.”
Rogan even suggested that this knockout completely changed Arona’s career trajectory, although the Brazilian did manage to rebound from the loss by winning four consecutive bouts, including victories over Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva, reaching the finals of the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix.
“That was the worst and this guy was never the same again,” Rogan reflected. “Ricardo Arona was never the same again.”
