UFC Spygate: Quotes from Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson Interview with Joe Rogan

UFC Fight Night 25 had some great fights on it, but it may have been Joe Rogan’s interview with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and challenger Rampage Jackson, that stole the show.

The UFC 135 main event will feature these two very talented 205-pounders, who have been involved in some major controversy surrounding their fight, as well as an ongoing rumor revolving around training for the fight.

“Spygate” is a term typically used to describe the controversial NFL situation, when the New England Patriots football team was caught videotaping their opponent’s pre-game walk-through during the 2007 NFL season. The situation became very ugly for awhile, and left the Patriots without a first round draft pick the following year as punishment.

In 2011, the phrase has returned, but this time it involves Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon “Bones” Jones, and their respective fight camps.

The two fighters discussed this, and other topics, in the interview with Joe Rogan tonight. The video will likely be available at some point soon, but for now, here is a list of some of the better quotes.

“I Know What I’m Getting into with Quinton.”

Jon Jones is very confident going into this fight. He believes that he knows his opponent like the back of his hand, and will have an answer for anything the heavy-handed slugger tries to do in the cage.

Jones has been very calculated, and almost Fedor-like, with his demeanor in the cage, while Jackson prefers to be a bit more wild at times.

“While He’s Playing Video Games, I’m Watching Him.”

Jackson is a known video game fanatic who has sometimes been accused of not training hard enough for his upcoming fights.

Many believe that Jackson would be among the greatest of all-time—if he fully dedicated himself to training as much as some of the other top-level fighters do.

Jones threw the first jab in the interview by getting somewhat personal. But it wasn’t the last punch that would be thrown in this war of words.

“We Know He’s Watching Me. He’s Watching My Training.”

And here... We... Go.

Jackson fired back immediately—with a great off-the-cuff remark about how Jones and his camp have been accused of putting a spy in Jackson’s camp. 

“On the 24th, He’s Going to Be Watching the Lights from on His Back.”

Predicting a knockout, Rampage confidently told fans and Joe Rogan that his opponent would be staring up at the lights when the fight was over.

This prediction is an interesting one as, at UFC 135, it will be nearly three years since Jackson’s last knockout victory, when he smashed Wanderlei Silva all the way back at UFC 92.

In another interesting tidbit, Jon Jones made his UFC debut just a few months prior to that event. 

“I Think It Was a Tactic of His to Try to Get in My Head.”

Jones dismissed the belief that he had sent a spy into Rampage’s camp, while simultaneously  accusing the challenger of “trying to get into his head.”

The rumors were obviously a distraction, though, as Jones was quick to add that “it worked.”

“Rampage, You Did It Way Too Soon, You Should’ve Did It Fight Week.”

Continuing on his previous statement that the whole “spygate” thing was just a complete lie with the intention of distracting him, Jones told Rampage that he should’ve waited to distract him until the fight was getting closer.

“It just shows more of your character and your paranoia,” Jones added.

"... I Hope It Makes You Feel Better."

"

“After you lose, you can tell everybody that I had a spy in your camp and I hope that makes you feel better.”

"

Prior to this fiery statement, Jones recalled Rampage claiming in a press conference that he always had an excuse for every fight he has lost. 

A confident Jones was very adamant in saying that he believes Jackson will be making another excuse after UFC 135.

“I Kept It Real. There Was a Spy in My Camp. It Was Proven.”

Jackson had suspicions that there was a "spy" in his camp prior to when he actually let it be known to the public. 

He believes he figured it out, though, when he faked an injury in camp and didn't report it to anyone outside of the camp itself. When he got called by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva regarding the injury, that's when he knew things were getting fishy. 

“I Focus on Me. I Focus on My Skill Set. I Focus on What I Need to Do.”

Without directly saying that he had nothing to do with the supposed spying in Jackson's camp, Jones added that he is not worried about what Jackson is doing.

Instead, he is entirely focused upon what he is doing in his own camp, learning everything he can and improving his own game. 

“If You Paid Attention, I Never Blamed You.”

The challenger believes that someone close to Jones sent a spy into his camp. But he has been careful to never directly accuse the champion himself of the act, adding that he believes it may have been Jones' manager, Malki Kawa. 

Kawa himself commented on the situation a few weeks back.

"I promise to God, I have no spy in that camp," Kawa told MMA Fighting. 

"It's completely and totally untrue. There is nothing to it at all. It's funny he said that, though, because we've heard he has had old training partners of Jon coming in to work with him. We don't care and it's kind of hilarious he's doing this." 

“I’m Going to Blow Him out of the Water. I’m Going to Destroy Jon Jones.”

One of the more interesting moments in the interview happened at the very end, when Joe Rogan asked both fighters what they believed the outcome of the fight would be. 

With Jackson, we pretty much got what we expected. He is a very confident fighter who has been known to "sell" fights on more than one occasion throughout his career.

It really is no surprise that he confidently predicted a victory for himself. 

“I’m Going to Go out There, Try My Hardest to Have Fun and Play the Game

It was the UFC light heavyweight champion's response to the question that was perhaps more telling. 

Some might take it as a lack of confidence, but Jones has never really been one to come out and predict a dominant victory.

Even when he has been heavily favored to deal one out, as he will be in this fight against Jackson, Jones stops short of discrediting his opponent's skills. 

Perhaps it's a sign of maturity from Jones that Jackson still, at his age, hasn't quite grasped. 

We'll find out who the better fighter is this Saturday night, September 24, 2011 when these warriors go to battle in the center of the Octagon at UFC 135!