Damon Jackson (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Damon Jackson has had a bit of bad luck recently as he dropped three out of his last four fights. However, he had an uphill battle in each of his last two fights where both Chepe Mariscal and Alexander Hernandez didn’t make weight. Luckily for Jackson, he was able to split those two fights as he comes into this must-win matchup at UFC 309.
“I took both those fights and I didn't have to, cause people don't understand," Jackson said in an one-on-one interview with RG. "Like if your opponent misses by 0.1 or 0.2, like you don't have to fight them. So if they miss weight, you don't have to take the fight.
Even though Jackson has had the misfortune of fighting against those who missed weight, he seems to have been rewarded with a big high-profile matchup against Jim Miller at Madison Square Garden at UFC 309.
“I think it's definitely that they know that I'm game to fight. And I think they know Jim is too.”
This is undoubtedly the most important fight of Jackson’s UFC career given the nature of this matchup. Not only is his back against the wall with losses in three out of his last four fights, but he gets the biggest fight of his career going up against future Hall of Famer Jim Miller in his backyard at Madison Square Garden, which is a dream come true for most fighters.
This will be Jackson’s first fight at lightweight since his first UFC debut in 2014 against Yancy Medeiros. Not having to cut an extra 10 lbs certainly will help Jackson maintain his pace and not slow down like he did in his last matchup against Chepe Mariscal.
“You know, I've wanted to move up to lightweight for a while because my last few cuts have been rough. So it's nice to get the opportunity to move up and then to get a big name like this off my first place.
“Like, I don't weigh a whole; I probably only weigh like, you know, three to four pounds heavier. Like, I'm like 178 right now. And, you know, I was cutting from 175 down to, you know, 145. So, you know, it's just a night-day difference. All my recovery, the whole fight week, after weigh-ins, like everything will be so much different.
“You know, making it to 55 and stopping there would just be so nice. It's been a long time since I've been on lightweight. And, you know, it'd be nice not to kill myself to make it, you know.“
This could potentially be a turning point in Jackson’s career where he not only gets the biggest victory in his 13-fight UFC career but puts him right into the thick of things in the lightweight division.
Jackson doesn’t shy away from a tough fight as this is the same fighter that went toe-to-toe with some of the best the UFC has to offer, like Ilia Topuria, Dan Ige, Billy Quarantillo, and Pat Sabatini. Now he will be looking to add another tough veteran to his resume when he takes on Jim Miller at UFC 309.
Jackson has one last message to the fight fans before he makes that walk to the Octagon at UFC 309, “I'm going to be ready to go. I know Jim's going to be ready to go, so it's going to be a scrap for sure. I'm excited, and I just can't wait to get in there with all the fans and everything.”
Damon Jackson will be looking to make a splash in his return to the lightweight division when he makes his 14th walk to the Octagon at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden on November 16h.
Garrett Kerman
