With UFC retirement not etched in stone, Damon Jackson calls out King Inexperienced

Damon Jackson could also be retired – kinda/sorta. Or, possibly like in “Buddies,” 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 could have been a bit 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 midst 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 type.

He even is aware of whom he’d prefer to struggle: King Green.

“I’ve obtained a reputation proper now, (despite the fact that I’m not formally again),” Jackson advised MMA Junkie Radio. “I needed to win that struggle so dangerous (towards Miller) after which I needed to freaking name out Bobby Inexperienced – King Inexperienced. That was my purpose, was to win that struggle towards Jim after which to go on the market and struggle Bobby.”

Inexperienced (32-16-1 MMA, 13-11-1 UFC) beat Miller in April 2024 a couple of months earlier than Jackson misplaced to him, so Jackson mentioned he watched loads of footage of Inexperienced getting ready for that struggle. And within the course of, he turned 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 might work.

“He’s such a ‘G,’ man. He fights so onerous each struggle – robust dude,” Jackson mentioned. “I’m a little bit of a fan of him watching him for a very long time. (He’s) simply robust as hell. After watching his struggle with Jim again and again and over – as a result of clearly I watch movie on individuals – I simply noticed his type. Then I watched a couple of of his different fights and I used to be like, ‘Man, that may be a great struggle.’

“I hoped to win that struggle after which to name him out, and I simply obtained caught up within the second (and misplaced).”

Jackson mentioned he has three fights left on his UFC contract, and although he’s not within the drug-testing pool, he mentioned he solely plans to struggle for the UFC.