Rampage 'felt like a hippopotamus' in Fedor loss, plans 205-pound return

Quinton Jackson says his days as a heavyweight are over.

Rampage plans to return to the light heavyweight division following a first-round TKO loss to MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in the Bellator 237 main event Saturday in Saitama, Japan.

"I got to get my damn weight down," Jackson said in a since-deleted video on his Instagram account, according to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn. "I felt like a hippopotamus out there. But that’s my fault. No excuses. It’s all right. I’ll be back. But I ain’t coming back at heavyweight. I’ve got to lose this weight.”

On Friday, Jackson weighed in at 265 pounds, the heaviest he's ever been for a fight. Jackson was between 253 and 254.4 pounds for his three previous heavyweight bouts.

The former UFC champion moved up to the heavyweight division in 2017 due to a thyroid condition that prevented him from cutting weight. He made his mark in the sport at light heavyweight, winning the UFC belt in 2007 with a knockout of Chuck Liddell.

Jackson looked sluggish against Emelianenko, barely landing a shot before being finished by the Russian's signature right hand. The 41-year-old was criticized by fans and media after the loss for his physique.

"I knew one of us was going to get knocked out," Jackson said. "But I didn’t know it was going to be f------ me. But you know what? I ain’t mad, though. You win some, you lose some. You get paid for all. Y’all remember that.”

The clash against Emelianenko, who's widely considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, marked Jackson's first TKO loss since 2005 and the first ever that stemmed from punches. He hadn't been stopped since 2011, when he was submitted by Jon Jones.

Jackson, who parted ways with the UFC in 2013 to compete in Bellator, is 1-3 in his past four outings.