Looking back to June 20, 2004, a mixed martial arts icon delivered one of the most memorable and brutal knockouts in the sport`s history.
It`s easy to see why Quinton `Rampage` Jackson became a major star during his prime.
While his charisma played a role, it was his sheer, devastating power that propelled him to the top ranks in both the PRIDE and UFC organizations.
Although Jackson has a favorite knockout from his UFC career, one moment from his time competing in Japan`s PRIDE FC promotion stands out as arguably his most iconic.
Two years after viciously slamming Masaaki Satake for a knockout, Jackson achieved an even more brutal slam finish that cemented his legacy.
Joe Rogan Discusses the Impact of Rampage Jackson`s Slam KO on Ricardo Arona
On June 20, 2004, Quinton `Rampage` Jackson entered PRIDE Critical Countdown seeking a rematch against his fierce rival, Wanderlei Silva.
His opponent was skilled submission artist Ricardo Arona, who had an impressive start in PRIDE with three consecutive wins over notable fighters like Guy Mezger, Dan Henderson, and Murilo Rua.
Over seven minutes into the fight, Arona secured a triangle choke from his back, which seemed to be tightening around `Rampage`.
Jackson`s response to the submission attempt was to unleash his raw power, lifting Arona high into the air and then violently driving him headfirst into the canvas.
Arona was immediately knocked unconscious upon impact. Years later, Joe Rogan discussed this shocking finish on an episode of the JRE MMA Show with Jackson himself.
The long-time UFC commentator suggested that this particular slam might represent the most forceful impact sustained by any fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.
“You got your whole body like this and he’s over the top of your head. That’s so much force. That may be the hardest anybody’s ever been hit in this sport because look at the amount of travel he does. Bro, you got him like 12 feet in the air, look at that. He goes straight, and you were powerful as f— back then.”
Joe Rogan Claims Slam Knockout Permanently Affected Arona`s Career
Speaking about the incident again on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan reiterated the severity of the damage inflicted on Ricardo Arona.
“I mean that dude definitely could have died. He probably got the worst trauma, the worst brain trauma.”
Rogan suggested the knockout fundamentally altered Arona`s career trajectory, although Arona did rebound impressively, winning four consecutive fights, including victories over stars like Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva, to reach the final of the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix.
“That was the worst and this guy was never the same again,” Rogan reflected. “Ricardo Arona was never the same again.”
