Sean Strickland, who is definitely not known for filtering his words, has made a blunt claim on Raja Jackson‘s arrest. And sitting right next to him, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson didn’t shut it down. The heavy conversation featuring two UFC legends didn’t happen in a courtroom or a press conference. It all happened casually, over drinks, on Adin Ross’ livestream. However, what came out had significantly more weight than the setting suggested.

For months, Raja Jackson’s case has lived in a gray space. The footage from the wrestling ring was brutal and disturbing. The legal process has moved slowly since. With the court case still unresolved, the focus has switched from what happened to why it happened and if the complete story has ever been told.

Sean Strickland and Rampage discuss Raja Jackson’s ‘set up’

Sean Strickland didn’t hesitate to bring the topic up as he sat down with Adin Ross and the ex-UFC champion for a livestream. “Talk about it, bro, like I rode with your boy,” he said. “He was set up on that. That was f—– up. You got set up, bro.” Rampage nodded, careful not to sound dismissive. “Yeah, yeah. I know now,” he said, before explaining that he couldn’t go into detail due to the court case.

‘Tarzan’ doubled down. “They set him up. A 100%.” Rampage agreed again, selecting his words carefully. “Yeah, I know, they didn’t like him, but I can’t talk about it. 100%, we know that. Oh, we got proof.” With such a big revelation, it was no surprise that the tone shifted. Strickland turned away from the case and toward the family.

Top Stories

Ilia Topuria Divorce Dispute Deepens as New Details Surface in Ongoing Extortion Row

Nina Drama Clowns Andrew Tate as Disrespected Ex-UFC Star Abruptly Leaves Mid-Fight

Ex-UFC Heavyweight Champ Engages in Backstage Brawl With Jack Doherty at Paul vs Joshua Event

Sean Strickland Passes on UFC White House Opportunity in Yet Another Bold Confession

UFC 326 Unveils Stacked Card as Returns, Rematches, and Weight Shifts Surround Holloway vs. Oliveira

“But I gotta say, dude, you as a dad, man,” he said. “That must’ve been a rough upbringing. You feel like you a little bit too hard on the boy?” Rampage Jackson’s response was clearly unexpected. The UFC legend did not justify his parenting by claiming toughness. Instead, he questioned his own methods. “I don’t think I was hard enough,” he said.

Jackson said that Raja’s mother abandoned him at the age of six. The kid entered a household where other children were already established. The feeling of being an outsider is what shaped everything. “I think I was too soft on him,” Rampage confessed. “I wasn’t as hard on him as I was with my other kids.”

The conversation does not excuse what occurred in the ring. It did not rewrite the footage or the injuries. However, it reframed the story as something more complex than a headline or a charge sheet. And that’s something Sean Strickland completely understands. After all, he too came from a troubled past and is still serving a ban from fighting. Maybe that’s why this wasn’t the first time that ‘Tarzan’ came out in defense of Raja Jackson.

Strickland demands rehabilitation for Jackson

That empathy is exactly where Sean Strickland plants his flag. His defense of Raja Jackson is not motivated by denial or blind allegiance. It stems from recognition. ‘Tarzan’ sees a young man at a crossroads because he has already witnessed what happens when the system prioritizes punishment above correction. For him, this is not about erasing accountability. It is about deciding what actually fixes anything.

Strickland has been blunt about it before and didn’t soften his stance this time either. “Jackson’s kid shouldn’t go to jail. Prison should always be a last resort,” he said a few months ago. He publicly discussed being jailed at 19 for two felony GBIs and how close he came to losing years of his life.

In his words, jail time would not have reformed him. It would have only toughened him instead. What changed his path wasn’t a cell, but structure. And that involved work release, anger management, and restitution.

Time spent taking responsibility for his actions rather than getting buried behind them. That experience is what shapes how he perceives Raja’s situation right now. “It’s not about the person in prison,” he said. “It’s about who they become when they’re out.” In his opinion, rehabilitation is not mercy. It’s responsibility done right.