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* By: Kris Karkoski | Jul 15, 2008

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Arrested - TMZ.comFormer UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been arrested following an incident today in California and charged with felony hit and run, evading arrest, and other charges, MMAFrenzy.com has confirmed.

TMZ.com is reporting that Jackson “was in a car crash near Newport Beach (that’s near Laguna Beach in the O.C.) and then split the scene. Cops gave chase and eventually caught up and charged him with felony hit and run and felony evading arrest.”

MMAFrenzy.com’s Eric Shapiro spoke with Joseph Serna of the Daily Pilot, a newspaper that serves Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, who confirmed to MMAFrenzy.com that, as far as he knows, Jackson’s arrest was not staged (some thought he might have been “punk’d”) but that there were not any official witness reports at this time.

Serna further detailed the incident at DailyPilot.com:

Jackson, the driver of a lifted, gray pick-up truck left crashed cars, shredded tires and sparks in his wake this afternoon when he led police on a short pursuit from the southbound 55 freeway exit onto Newport Boulevard where he hit at least three cars, police said.

The driver hit two cars at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard, then drove away at about 1:13 p.m., Lt. Paul Dondero said. A Costa Mesa police officer saw the driver southbound approaching 17th Street and tried to pull him over, police said. There, he hit at least one more car before continuing to run, now heading south toward the Balboa Peninsula, Dondero said. Some time after that, the truck blew a tire but continued to drive on its rims, Dondero said.

Jackson eventually gave up, pulled over and was arrested, police said. The whole chase lasted about five minutes, Dondero said.

Jackson is currently being held at the Orange County jail on $25,000 bail.

BloodyElbow.com is reporting that there are no indications that Jackson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

According to Yahoo Sports UFC President Dana White flew to Orange County to post Jackson’s bail.

Jackson’s arrest has also hit the front page of ESPN.com under the headline “On a ‘Rampage’: Former MMA champion arrested”.

Photos of the arrest, courtesy of TMZ.com, are after the jump…

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