A famous last name can be a burden in combat sports. On February 19, 2022, Raja Jackson leaned into it and made it look easy—picking up his second straight amateur win by submission and giving his father, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, a reason to post the receipts.
The 22-year-old defeated Malique Lee by submission at a Global Legion FC event, adding to the momentum he built with his debut victory in November 2021 over Zalimkhav Shakhrudinov, also by submission. Two fights. Two tap-outs. That’s a clear early read on where his strengths are trending.
“My son won his 2nd MMA fight… that’s all just wanted to brag,” Rampage wrote on Twitter, attaching clips from the bout. He followed up with, “A little footage from my son’s fight. Global legion Fc,” sharing more angles of the key moments.
A second straight submission
Back-to-back submission wins tell a simple story: comfort in grappling exchanges and the composure to finish when the chance appears. Amateur fights don’t always offer the cleanest reads on long-term ceilings, but stacking finishes this early matters. It shows decision-making under pressure and a game plan that travels.
Global Legion FC is a regional stage where prospects get real rounds, learn the rhythm of fight week, and make the kind of mistakes that never show up on a pro record. For someone with a high-profile last name, it’s a smart lane—enough visibility to draw attention, but room to grow without skipping steps.
Here’s the quick timeline of Raja’s start:
- November 2021: Amateur debut vs. Zalimkhav Shakhrudinov — win by submission.
- February 19, 2022: Second amateur fight vs. Malique Lee — win by submission at Global Legion FC.
We don’t have official details on the exact submissions or rounds from the footage Rampage posted, and the promotion has not released a full breakdown. What’s clear is the pattern—Raja is finding his finishes on the mat, and he’s doing it early in his run.
For context, many athletes take several amateur bouts—sometimes three to eight—before turning pro, depending on the commission, the team’s plan, and how quickly their skills sharpen. The goals are simple: check the basics under real lights, learn to manage nerves, and show reliable offense and defense in all phases.
Carrying the Jackson name
Raja’s path comes with a built-in spotlight because of his father. Rampage Jackson, 37-12 as a professional, left the UFC for Bellator in 2013 and last fought in December 2019 at Bellator 237 in Saitama, Japan, where he lost by first-round knockout to Fedor Emelianenko. Since then, he’s been a free agent, splitting time between acting gigs and appearances in professional wrestling while staying present in his son’s early career.
That kind of presence matters. Legacy fighters often face a strange set of expectations. The upside is access—coaching, contacts, and a front-row education most prospects never get. The downside is noise. Every step is watched, every setback magnified. The best way through it is the boring way: stack reps, fight often enough to learn, and keep the focus on performance, not headlines.
Combat sports history is full of family threads—from the Gracies in jiu-jitsu to modern father-son stories like AJ McKee and Antonio McKee—so the blueprint is there. The lesson most of them share is simple: the name opens the door, but the work keeps you in the room. Two submission wins don’t make a career, but they do signal a direction.
What comes next? There’s no announced timeline for Raja’s next booking or a jump to the professional ranks. Expect more amateur rounds. The smart play is to widen the tool kit: show clean takedown entries, polish the striking to set them up, and get cage time against varied styles. Two finishes are great; three or four against different looks will say even more.
As for Rampage, the proud-dad posts are part celebration, part endorsement. A clip shared by a former UFC champion travels fast. It brings attention to Global Legion FC, gives matchmakers and managers a file to watch, and puts a bit of pressure on the next opponent. That’s the modern cycle: win, post, review, repeat.
There’s also a practical edge to starting in smaller shows. You learn the little things—warm-up timing, corner communication, the shock of that first clean punch or scramble, and how to settle your breathing when the crowd’s close enough to hear. Those habits become muscle memory. And when the bright lights eventually hit, the moment feels less new.
Raja’s early run also fits a wider trend in MMA: prospects leaning hard on grappling to build confidence. Submissions close fights, but more than that, they slow the chaos. They let a young fighter control pace, avoid wild exchanges, and impose a style while still hunting for a finish. If striking is the art of risk, grappling is the art of control. Right now, Raja is choosing control—and cashing it in.
Nothing about this guarantees the next step. That’s the truth of the fight game. But on a February night at Global Legion FC, a 22-year-old with a famous last name did exactly what he needed to do: show up, execute, and get the tap. His father posted the proof. The rest will be earned the same way—one bout, one finish, one lesson at a time.
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