UFC legend Rampage Jackson has cut contact with his son, Raja, and called for the MMA fighter to be jailed for brutally attacking and hospitalizing a professional wrestler.
Jackson, 47, says he hasn’t spoken with his 25-year-old son due to the vicious assault on Aug. 23, when Raja disrupted a KnokX Pro’s KnokXperience event in California and beat wrestler Syko Stu unconscious.
“I don’t talk to Raja no more,” Jackson told “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday. “I talked to him, I heard his story and I heard some stuff and then after I learned a whole lot of stuff about it.”
“He dishonored my name,” Jackson said. “I know he’s my f–king son. I’m not cutting him off for forever. I just haven’t talked to him. I talked to him after this s–t happened and he hid the fact that he did this s–t and you know put my other kids at danger based off what other people said. I just can’t talk to him right now.”
Jackson condemned his son’s behavior during the wrestling show, saying he was “wrong” and “went against what I told him to do” for repeatedly punching Syko Stu, a 44-year-old military veteran whose real name is Stuart Smith.
“Raja is not a pro wrestler; he is a fighter. He’s not a pro wrestler. He had no business in that ring,” Jackson told the podcast.
Raja, who was sitting ringside during the match, jumped in the ring when Smith’s back was turned and grabbed the wrestler, slamming him into the floor and throwing 22 punches, 18 of which struck the face.
Raja’s appearance at the event was scripted, and it was planned for him to pick up Smith but things went off the rails when the younger Jackson unleashed a barrage of punches and knocked the wrestler unconscious.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion, whose real name is Quinton Randi Jackson, is unsure of his son’s whereabouts, but the family is waiting for an arrest warrant to be issued for the younger Jackson.
“I was going to turn him in. We’ve been waiting for an arrest warrant or whatever,” he said.
Jackson says he got his son an attorney, but is waiting for an arrest to be made.
“I’m not surprised Raja hasn’t been arrested. I feel the police are doing a deep investigation because this is not the first time something like this has happened in pro wrestling.”
Rampage Jackson calling for his son to serve “a little time” in jail as part of his punishment for his attack on Smith.
“I think he should do a little time, do a little community service and go to anger management class, see some therapy,” Jackson told the outlet.
The older Jackson believes his son’s attack is being treated differently because it is a “high-profile case” that was live-streamed on a different platform.
The event was streamed on the Kick streaming service and quickly went viral online.
“It wasn’t attempted murder because he wasn’t trying to kill that guy,” Jackson said.
Jackson initially defended his son, saying he was getting “payback” from the pre-match skirmish, but later called for “justice to play out” against Raja.
“I did what my job as a father, to still take care of my son because I still love him even though how upset I am at my son,” he said.
“I still love him, he’s still my son but ever since he’s become an adult he don’t listen to s–t I say,” Jackson added.
Raja’s rampage stemmed from an incident before the show, where Smith smashed a beer can onto the streamer’s head.
“Yes, my son took it too far but he knows better. He knows he’s wrong for getting involved in a pro wrestling match,” the older Jackson said.
Smith sustained a serious head injury and was unconscious when he first arrived at the hospital, initially being listed in “stable, but critical care.”
He was released from the hospital on Sunday, Smith and his wife, Contessa Patterson, announced on Instagram.
The wrestler suffered trauma to both the upper and lower jaws, a laceration to his upper lip, and a fracture to the maxilla bone, which unfortunately resulted in the loss of several teeth,” the social media post said.
Rampage Jackson partially blamed Smith for his son’s attack, claiming the pro wrestler was the one who instigated the tension.