UFC fighter ‘Rampage’ Jackson avoids jail with plea

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Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight contender Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson pleaded guilty today to one felony and one misdemeanor count related to his July car chase from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach.

We’ll have more details coming on latimes.com/sports, but Jackson’s plea deal will allow him to avoid jail time on the felony charge and pursue a likely July title fight against current light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

Jackson is required to perform 200 hours of community service, pay restitution related to all six original counts he faced and continue visiting with mental health physicians, with bimonthly reports required to be filed to the Orange County district attorney.

Jackson faced a maximum three years in prison because of the incident, which his attorney, in a statement, said was ‘a brief episode of delirium which was reactive to situational and metabolic difficulties.’

The felony count still leaves Jackson subject to 180 days in jail, but a prosecutor said that if Jackson fulfilled his requirements before sentencing on Jan. 7, 2010, the count would be dropped and jail time avoided.

-- Lance Pugmire