Damon Jackson could also be retired – kinda/sorta. Or, possibly like in “Associates,” he’s simply on a break. Let’s go along with that.
Jackson lately advised MMA Junkie Radio the phrase of his retirement from the UFC might have been a bit of untimely. He’s on a deliberate hiatus away from issues, however expects it to be brief – so brief, in truth, that he’d take a return to the cage mid-year.
Jackson (23-8-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC) took his gloves off and left them in the course of the octagon following his first-round submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 309 in November. However he advised MMA Junkie Radio that loss was within the wake of all types of points exterior the cage, and he thinks with these moderately far sufficient within the rearview mirror, he’ll be again to his higher kind.
He even is aware of whom he’d prefer to combat: King Inexperienced.
“I’ve received a reputation proper now, (though I’m not formally again),” Jackson advised MMA Junkie Radio. “I needed to win that combat so dangerous (towards Miller) after which I needed to freaking name out Bobby Inexperienced – King Inexperienced. That was my objective, was to win that combat towards Jim after which to go on the market and combat Bobby.”
Inexperienced (32-16-1 MMA, 13-11-1 UFC) beat Miller in April 2024 a number of months earlier than Jackson misplaced to him, so Jackson stated he watched loads of footage of Inexperienced getting ready for that combat. And within the course of, he grew to become a fan.
Inexperienced’s win over Miller was a bounce-back from a first-round knockout loss to Jalin Turner, however after the Miller win, he was submitted by Paddy Pimblett at UFC 304. With Inexperienced and Jackson each coming off losses, the timing may work.
“He’s such a ‘G,’ man. He fights so laborious each combat – powerful dude,” Jackson stated. “I’m a little bit of a fan of him watching him for a very long time. (He’s) simply powerful as hell. After watching his combat with Jim time and again and over – as a result of clearly I watch movie on folks – I simply noticed his type. Then I watched a number of of his different fights and I used to be like, ‘Man, that may be combat.’
“I hoped to win that combat after which to name him out, and I simply received caught up within the second (and misplaced).”
Jackson stated he has three fights left on his UFC contract, and although he’s not within the drug-testing pool, he stated he solely plans to combat for the UFC.
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