UFC’s Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is arrested

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the recently defeated Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight champion from Orange County, was arrested by Costa Mesa police Tuesday after allegedly being involved in a series of collisions while wildly driving a pickup truck.

Jackson, 30, of Irvine, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony evading, hit and run and reckless driving, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Paul Dondero said.

Dondero said a Costa Mesa motorcycle officer observed Jackson driving erratically as his truck sped southbound where the 55 Freeway turns into Newport Boulevard around 1:30 p.m.

Driving with a flat tire believed to have been damaged in an earlier accident on the 55 Freeway, Jackson was seen talking on his cellphone, crossing street dividers and twice driving onto sidewalks that “caused pedestrians to dive out of the way,” Dondero said. “He was ignoring sirens, and ran several red lights before finally being detained,” with a shredded tire at 18th Street and Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach.

Dondero said there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs contributing to Jackson’s driving.

“Why he did it, I don’t know,” Dondero said.

Bail was set at $25,000, and the Orange County District Attorney could opt to add more charges due to the peril Jackson created by driving onto the sidewalks “that were predictably filled with people this time of year in Newport,” Dondero said. “I’m sure the D.A. will look at that.”

Jackson’s manager/trainer Juanito Ibarra declined to comment to The Times about Jackson’s arrest, and a UFC official referred questions to police.

Police first received a report of an accident on the 55 Freeway near 19th Street in Costa Mesa involving a large pickup truck that had struck other vehicles and fled the scene, police said.

A Costa Mesa officer spotted the pickup getting involved in another collision and fleeing toward Newport Beach. The pickup, which had a tire disabled in the collisions, was pulled over in Newport Beach and Jackson was taken into custody without incident, Dondero said.

There were no injuries involved in the various collisions, he said.

Jackson was upset by Forrest Griffin in a unanimous decision at UFC 86 on July 5 in Las Vegas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.