UFC champion's son charged with felony assault after viral pro-wrestling incident

Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, was arrested on a felony assault charge after a viral incident at the KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy in which a professional wrestler was severely beaten during a match that was livestreamed online. Jackson is being held on a $50,000 bail as authorities investigated the events surrounding the confrontation and the promotion's handling of the match.

Video of the incident captured Raja Jackson body-slamming Stuart Smith, who wrestles under the name Syko Stu, and punching him repeatedly while Smith appeared to be unconscious. The attack occurred during a planned wrestling segment at the academy, according to statements from the organization, but officials said what followed deviated sharply from the script. Police and the academy described the assault as lasting moments and indicated Jackson delivered at least 20 punches to Smith’s head as the wrestler was down. Smith was shown lying still after the sequence, and footage circulated widely on social media.

Smith sustained a serious head injury, trauma to both the upper and lower jaws, a laceration to his upper lip and a fracture to the maxilla bone, which reportedly resulted in the loss of several teeth, according to a post on his Instagram. KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy issued a statement on its social channels condemning the act and saying it devoured the integrity of the sport. The statement described the incident as a selfish, irresponsible act of violence that had no place in their operation and apologized to patrons and fans. It also noted that, in its 17 years, nothing like this had occurred.

Rampage Jackson responded on social media, saying the assault was part of a previously planned performance that went wrong after Smith allegedly struck Raja in the side of the head earlier in the day. He wrote that he believed the moment was part of the show, but acknowledged it was a bad judgment and that Raja is an MMA fighter, not a professional wrestler, so he had no business participating in an event of that nature. Jackson added that he does not condone his son’s actions and noted that Raja had suffered a concussion from sparring days earlier, which he said should have kept him away from contact.

The incident has drawn scrutiny of cross-promotional wrestling events and the safety protocols of training facilities that host high-profile athletes. KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy emphasized that it had planned the match as entertainment and stated the attack violated the standards of the organization and the wider professional-wrestling community. The academy highlighted that it values patrons’ safety and apologized for the episode, which it labeled as unprecedented in its 17-year history.

Authorities have not announced additional charges against anyone connected to the promotion as investigation continues. The Associated Press contributed to this report.