Mauricio “Shogun” Rua revealed to Tatame that Jon “Bones” Jones was not the UFC’s first choice to step in for the injured “Suga” Rashad Evans at UFC 128.

Rua said, ”The UFC thought of other alternatives, but it didn’t work out. For some reason [Jackson] didn’t accept it.” “It” being a chance to fight Rua for his UFC Light Heavyweight title.

On Monday, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson responded to Rua’s claims.

Jackson, in an interview with MMAJunkie seemed irritated that Rua went to the press with the matter, ”It’s not enough time to get ready for a five-round fight,” Jackson claimed. “Dana knows that. And ‘Shogun,’ he’s a fighter, and he should know that.

“He shouldn’t even go and say [expletive] like that with him being a fighter. He saw me at the fight this weekend. Everybody saw how big I am.” 

Jackson’s next fight is scheduled for May 28 at UFC 130. On that night he will face Thiago Silva at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’m just doing maintenance training right now,” Jackson continued. “I fought right before the holidays, and I went on vacation to see my family and took my kids to see their family in Japan. “

Jackson is not one to stay in fighting shape year round, preferring to wait until he begins training for a fight start his weight cutting, “I’ve been living my life, so I gained a lot of weight,” Jackson said.

“I’m a natural fighter. I don’t do any drugs, and I don’t do any high-performance drugs, so I have a natural body. My body gains weight when I don’t train and I don’t eat like I’m in camp.” 

“I’m 250 pounds, and I would have to lose 45 pounds in, what, three or four weeks? The first time I fought ‘Shogun,’ I was injured going into that fight, and it’s haunted me all the way up to now.

“I always believed the second time I fight ‘Shogun’ that I’m going to be close to 100 percent as possible.”

Knowing that he would not be 100 percent ready to fight at UFC 128 on March 19, he turned the fight down.

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Courtesy of :Bleacher Report – UFC