Injunction hearing postponed between Bellator and UFC 186's 'Rampage' Jackson
A judge held off on a decision to grant Bellator MMA an injunction against Quinton Jackson today in a New Jersey court.
Karen L. Suter, a judge with the chancery division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Burlington County, postponed a ruling to Tuesday at 10 a.m., court rep Donna Mazzanti told MMAjunkie.
Additional details on the delay were unavailable, Mazzanti said.
Bellator is attempting to block “Rampage” Jackson (35-11 MMA, 7-5 UFC) from fighting Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186, which takes place April 25 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. The Viacom-owned promotion filed suit against the ex-champ in chancery court on March 4, alleging he breached a deal signed in June 2013.
Jackson believes Bellator breached the contract. He signed with the UFC this past December amid warnings from Bellator executives that the promotion would fight to protect its rights in court.
Bellator President Scott Coker on Wednesday declined to comment on the injunction request, citing pending litigation. UFC officials have thus far declined comment, as has Jackson’s longtime manager, Anthony McGann.
As MMAjunkie previously reported, a failed contract renegotiation preceded Jackson’s fallout with Bellator. The fighter has said the promotion failed to provide a report of the pay-per-view performance of Bellator 120, which featured his headliner opposite Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, among other breaches.
A matching clause could complicate Jackson’s efforts to free himself, as one legal expert noted. Suter, however, will decide whether Jackson’s alleged breaches are strong enough to prevent him from fighting at UFC 186.