On a conference call Wednesday to promote Bellator 175, Jackson and Lawal kicked things off by arguing about their usual topic of conversation. Lawal accused Jackson of “looking kinda old” and “kinda fat” ahead of the rematch, while Jackson brushed off the criticism and warned that he would be walking into the cage at a far heavier weight than his foe. But then something curious happened.
Lawal, after calling Jackson a “fat and sloppy” fighter who “fell off,” explained that Bellator offered him the fight at a 235-pound catchweight, but Lawal turned it down in favor of a heavyweight contest because he wasn’t worried about the extra weight.
“Guess what? You ain’t fighting me at heavyweight,” Jackson then said. “You fighting me at a catchweight.”
“No. Heavyweight, player. Ain’t no catchweight here,” Lawal responded. “It’s at heavyweight, dog. Two-sixty-five is the weight class. Heavyweight. I don’t do no catchweights.”
“Wait, wait, you’re telling me I can weigh 265?” Jackson said. “Is this what you’re telling me?”
“Yes. Yes, you can,” Lawal replied. “Ain’t no catchweight. I ain’t no ho. I don’t do no catchweight. Man, hell no.”
“I was told the fight was at catchweight,” Jackson said.
Jackson was then asked to clarify his comments later in the call. Was he actually under the impression that he was preparing for a 235-pound catchweight contest?
“I was told this was a catchweight,” Jackson told MMA Fighting. “I don’t know if my coach is lying to me or what. I was told that this was a catchweight, that I had to weigh 235.”
‘Rampage’ mistakenly thought Bellator rematch against Lawal was a catchweight