A lot of people have a lot of opinions on Raja Jackson’s brutal assault and hospitalization
of pro wrestler Syko Stu (real name Stuart Smith). Many are calling for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s son — who is 4-0 as an amateur and 0-1 in pro MMA — to be charged with attempted murder. But former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has an extremely different outlook: he’s hoping Raja doesn’t end up serving time at all.“Jackson’s kid shouldn’t go to jail,” Strickland wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Prison should always be a last resort.”
“I was arrested at 19 for two Felony A GBIs [Great Bodily Injuries],” he explained. “I would of spent 5 to 6 years in prison if the DA had its way. After 6 years in a cell coming out with nothing, being indoctrinated with gangs and violence, I guarantee I would of killed someone. There was one guy telling me about how he picked up a murder charge and I remembered being impressed by him. That would of been my future.”
“Instead I plead and took 100 days jail or work release. A ton of anger management and a decent amount of victim restitution. After a miserable two years of court. Luckily a lawyer took my case for free because I didn’t have a dollar to my name.”
Strickland is known for holding some pretty hardline positions, but this one is likely to surprise a lot of his supporters.
“Bottom line is it’s not about the person in prison,” he concluded. “Its about who they become when they’re out of prison, and I believe if I wasn’t offered that deal I would be dead today and more than likely would of resulted in someone else’s death as well. My two cents … rehabilitation over prison always.”
There were some differences between Strickland’s situation and Jackson’s. According to “Tarzan,” he acted in self defense but used excessive force.
“In my case I was sued and had to pay victim restitution,” he said when asked about justice for the victim.
Response to his position on X was overwhelmingly negative, with many pointing out that Sean had repeatedly assaulted people since those earlier experiences. He’s currently on suspension for storming the cage at an MMA event and attacking a fighter.
“What people don’t understand by not trying to rehabilitate these people you are making many more victims in the future,” he argued.
As it stands, the LAPD is investigating the incident. Stuart Smith remains in the hospital, where his family has shared an update.
“Stuart is conscious and does have some recollection of the events from the day of the attack,” his brother Andrew wrote on Facebook. “He’s currently resting and says, ‘Thank you for the love and support.'”
