Damon Blake Jackson (born August 8, 1988) is an American former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

having previously competed in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). A professional since 2012, Jackson competed for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock Jr. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstre ...

and he is the former

Legacy Fighting Alliance The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Houston, Texas. It was created as a result of the Legacy Fighting Championship and Resurrection Fighting Alliance merg ...

Interim Featherweight Champion.

Background

Born in Oklahoma, Jackson began

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

from a young age and was talented. In high school, Jackson also competed in baseball and ran cross-country and track. Jackson was a state runner-up before continuing his career at

Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri, United States. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 ...

where he was an All-American and had a fifth-place finish at the national tournament in 2012. Shortly after, Jackson began pursuing mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Jackson held an amateur MMA record of 6–1 before making his professional debut September 2012, winning via TKO in the first round. He would go on to win his next two bouts, both via submission.

Bellator MMA

Jackson debuted for Bellator on January 24, 2013, at Bellator 86 against Zac Church. Jackson won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round. On June 19, 2013, Jackson defeated Keith Miner via TKO due to strikes in the first round at

Bellator 96 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

, improving his record to 6–0.

Legacy Fighting Championship

In October 2013, Jackson fought and defeated Javier Obregon by submission in the second round at Legacy FC 24. Jackson would win his next bout via rear-naked choke submission at Legacy FC 28 against Hunter Tucker on February 21, 2014. Jackson then faced WEC and

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

veteran

Leonard Garcia Leonard Garcia (born July 14, 1979) is an American former mixed martial artist and professional boxer who last competed in the Featherweight division of the Legacy Fighting Championship, and is the former Legacy FC Featherweight Champion. After ...

for the Legacy FC featherweight championship at Legacy FC 33 on July 18, 2014. Jackson won the fight via submission in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Stepping in as a late replacement for an injured Justin Edwards, Jackson faced

Yancy Medeiros Yancy Medeiros Jr. (born September 7, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2007, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforc ...

at UFC 177 on August 30, 2014. Jackson lost the fight via submission in the second round, suffering his first loss of his career. Jackson faced

Rony Jason Rony Mariano Bezerra (born March 21, 1984), better known as Rony Jason, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, B ...

on May 30, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 67. He lost the fight via triangle choke submission in the first round. On June 18, 2015, it was announced that Jason tested positive for

hydrochlorothiazide Hydrochlorothiazide, sold under the brand name Hydrodiuril among others, is a diuretic medication used to treat hypertension and swelling due to fluid build-up. Other uses include treating diabetes insipidus and renal tubular acidosis and t ...

, which is a banned

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...

, therefore his submission victory against Jackson was overturned and he received a nine-month suspension. Jackson faced Levan Makashvili on January 30, 2016, at UFC on Fox 18. The bout was ruled a majority draw (28-28, 28-28, 29-27) after Makashvili was deducted one point in the third round due to an illegal knee and eye poke.

Legacy Fighting Alliance/PFL

After going 6–1 fighting under the

(LFA) banner, Jackson won the Featherweight Interim Legacy Fighting Alliance championship on August 10, 2018, against Nate Jennerman at Legacy Fighting Alliance 47 via knockout in round two. He would sign with

PFL PFL may refer to: Sport * Professional Fighters League, an American mixed martial arts league * Peel Football League, an Australian rules football league * Pioneer Football League, an NCAA Division I FCS football conference * Professional Futsa ...

to face Movlid Khaybulaev on May 23, 2019, at PFL 2, getting knocked out with a flying knee 10 seconds into the bout. After the loss, Jackson returned to the LFA at LFA 83, submitting Mauro Chaulet in the first round via rear-naked choke.

Return to UFC

Jackson returned to UFC to face

Mirsad Bektić Mirsad Bektić (born February 16, 1991) is a Bosnian-born American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Background Mirsad Bektić was born on February ...

, replacing Luiz Eduardo Garagorri on September 19, 2020, at

UFC Fight Night 178 ''UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 178'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 36'' and ''UFC Vegas 11'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 19, 2020, at t ...

. He won the fight via a submission in round three. This win earned him a '' Performance of the Night'' bonus. Jackson faced

Ilia Topuria Ilia Topuria ( ka, ილია თოფურია; born January 21, 1997) is a Georgian and Spanish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he i ...

on December 5, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 19. He lost the fight via knockout in round one. Jackson was scheduled to face T.J. Laramie on May 1, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 188 ''UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 188'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 46'' and ''UFC Vegas 27'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 22, 2021 at the UFC Ape ...

. However in late March, Laramie pulled out of the fight for undisclosed reasons, and he was replaced by Luke Sanders. In turn, Jackson withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Felipe Colares who also lost his original opponent at the event. Jackson faced

Charles Rosa Charles Rosa (born August 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2012, he is most notable for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background ...

on October 9, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 194. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Jackson was scheduled to face Joshua Culibao on March 12, 2022 UFC Fight Night 203. However, Culibao was pulled from the event for undisclosed reasons and he was replaced by Kamuela Kirk. Jackson won the fight via an arm triangle submission in round two. Jackson was scheduled to face Darrick Minner on June 4, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 207. However, for undisclosed reasons, Minner was pulled from the event and he was replaced by newcomer Daniel Argueta. Jackson won the bout via unanimous decision. Jackson faced Pat Sabatini on September 17, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 210 ''UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 210'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 68'' and ''UFC Vegas 60'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 17, 2022, at the ...

. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award. Jackson faced

Dan Ige Daniel Alexander Ige ( ; born August 6, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed for ...

January 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 217. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round. Jackson faced Billy Quarantillo on August 5, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 226. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Jackson faced

Alexander Hernandez Alexander Xavier Hernandez (born October 1, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hernandez began wrestling at the age of 13 and started train ...

on April 6, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 240. At the weigh-ins, Hernandez weighed in at 147.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Hernandez was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Jackson. Jackson won the bout by split decision. Jackson faced Chepe Mariscal on August 10, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 61. At the weigh-ins, Mariscal weighed in at 149.5 pounds, three and a half pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Mariscal was fined 20 percent of his purse which went to Jackson. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Jackson faced Jim Miller on November 16, 2024 at

UFC 309 ''UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 16, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Background The event marked the ...

. He lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round. Jackson left his gloves in the octagon signaling his retirement from MMA competition.

Personal life

Jackson is married and has four daughters.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Performance of the Night (Two times) **UFC Honors Awards *** 2020: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Nominee *Legacy Fighting Championship **Legacy FC Featherweight Championship *Legacy Fighting Alliance **Interim LFA Featherweight Championship * MMAjunkie.com **2020 September Submission of the Month

Mixed martial arts record

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Kevin Aguilar Kevin Aguilar (born September 7, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA). Aguilar was the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) Featherweight champion and he competed in the featherweight (MMA), featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Ch ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Damon Living people 1988 births American male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu