UFC 135 Fight Card: What a Loss Would Mean for Rampage Jackson

UFC 135 features a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The MMA community is expecting Jones to steamroll over Jackson en route to becoming the greatest MMA fighter of all time, but what would this scenario mean for Jackson?

For many, a loss wouldn't mean too much for Jackson.

If Jackson loses, what is the big deal? He lost to the first of the "next generation" or "new breed" of fighters and therefore shouldn't be ashamed.

His legacy will always be intact no matter how many fights he loses because of the sheer force of his personality and the popularity of his youtube highlight reel, which includes the stunning power bomb of Ricardo Arona and the epic knockout of the thought-to-be nigh invincible Chuck Liddell.

However, a group of critics will remember different things about Jackson: that he was a somewhat one dimensional fighter who sought only to headhunt and never made use of the "mixed" in mixed martial arts.

These people will remember that while Jackson was no doubt an impressive fighter, he lacked the accolades that truly make a legend. Saying otherwise is pride and nostalgia clouding judgment.

Concerning more short-term implications of his loss, Jackson will be moved further down the rankings. But a fighter of his stature (or shall we say drawing power) will be moved back to the top five of the division with a win over practically anybody.

So really, a loss hurts only Rampage's pride in the minds of many people.