UFC pits ‘Rampage’ Jackson against Keith Jardine

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson appeared to have earned a title shot against light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans when he knocked out Wanderlei Silva in a Ultimate Fighting Championship bout last month.

But the UFC has other plans, and it announced Monday night that Jackson will instead be fighting Keith Jardine March 7 during UFC 96 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Like Jackson, Jardine (14-5) has defeated Chuck Liddell. He also has a victory over Brandon Vera on his resume, but Jardine also lost last year to Silva.

‘I think it’s a great matchup, and I expect that we both would want to stand up and throw powerful punches,’ Jardine said in a statement released by UFC.

The UFC is staging its third annual fight in Columbus, after Randy Couture’s surprising comeback decision over Tim Sylvia in 2007, and Anderson Silva’s middleweight title defense over Dan Henderson last year.

In its prepared statement, the UFC hinted Jackson remains in line for Evans, saying ‘Rampage’ is ‘hot on the trail’ of Evans, ‘but first, he’ll have to get by Evans’ [Albuquerque, N.M., training] teammate.’

There was no word how Jackson’s recent legal trouble affected his fight schedule. The Irvine resident accepted a plea bargain earlier this month after a wild summer incident when he crashed his truck into motorists, caused pedestrians and bicyclists to flee and was arrested in Newport Beach.

-- Lance Pugmire