Viacom-owned Bellator MMA was granted a preliminary injunction by a New Jersey Superior Court judge, which prevents Quinton "Rampage" Jackson from competing as the co-main event of UFC 186 later this month, as reported by Cage Writer.

Jackson canceled his contract last December with Bellator citing a number of breaches. He announced soon after that he would be coming back to the UFC. But instead of sighting inside the octagon, he'll first have to fight in court.

"Smart move Bellator! Got to a small town where your company knows the judge to get a judgement (sic) to piss off your customers #aintworriedboutnothing," Jackson wrote on Instagram. The post also showed a photo of Kermit the frog with a caption "There are more Rampage fans than Bellator fans."

For its part, the UFC also released a statement following the ruling: UFC has been advised of the New Jersey state court's ruling in the matter between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Bellator MMA. The UFC organization was surprised about the ruling because Mr. Jackson represented to UFC on multiple occasions that he was free to negotiate and contract with UFC. The UFC organization is also surprised that Bellator sat on its alleged rights for months before taking action.

UFC understands that Mr. Jackson is considering an emergency appeal, and UFC is also considering action to protect its rights and minimize damages regarding this matter. UFC 186 in Montreal, Canada will proceed as planned and UFC is currently evaluating its fight card options."

Jackson was scheduled to face Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186. He would've made his return to the organization after racking up three straight wins while fighting under Bellator.

"We are pleased with the judge's ruling and look forward to having Rampage fighting for Bellator again soon," was the MMA organization's response when reached for comment.