Eugene Jackson (born September 23, 1966) is an American former

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competed in the middleweight division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship 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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and Strikeforce. Jackson was the only Strikeforce U.S. Middleweight Champion.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Jackson compiled a professional mixed martial arts record of 9-3-1 that included winning the Bas Rutten Invitational 1 Middleweight tournament over

Joe Doerksen Joseph Daniel Doerksen (born October 9, 1977) is a Canadian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2014, he fought in the UFC, WEC, IFL, King of the Cage, Aggression Fighting Championship, World Victory Road, RINGS, Sup ...

as well as losing to future Pride Middleweight Champion, Wanderlei Silva whilst competing for the IVC Cruiserweight Championship before signing for UFC in 1999.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Jackson made his UFC debut at middleweight on July 16, 1999, against Royce Alger at UFC 21. He won the fight via KO with punches in the second round. Jackson then faced Keiichiro Yamamiya on November 19, 1999, at UFC 23. He won the fight via KO with a punch in the third round. Jackson then faced Sanae Kikuta on April 14, 2000, at UFC 25. He lost the fight via an

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, p ...

submission in the first round. Jackson then faced Jeremy Horn on September 22, 2000, at UFC 27. He lost the fight via an

submission in the first round. Jackson then faced Ricardo Almeida on September 28, 2001, at

UFC 33 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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He lost the fight via a triangle choke submission in the first round. Jackson then faced Keith Rockel on January 11, 2002, at UFC 35. He won the fight via a

guillotine choke The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compare to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while st ...

submission in the second round thus snapping a three-fight losing streak. Jackson's final UFC bout came against

Mark Weir Mark Anthony Weir (19 September 1967) is an English retired mixed martial artist usually fighting in the middleweight division at 185 lbs. He has fought in the UFC, the WEC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, UCMMA, Pancrase, and BodogFIGHT. He is the ...

on July 13, 2002, at UFC 38. He lost the fight via KO with a punch in the first round.

Strikeforce

Jackson made his Strikeforce debut against Jorge Ortiz on March 10, 2006, at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Jackson then faced Mike Seal on June 9, 2006, at Strikeforce: Revenge. He won the fight via TKO due to punches in the second round. Jackson then faced Ronald Jhun for the inaugural Strikeforce U.S. Middleweight Championship on December 8, 2006, at Strikeforce: Triple Threat. He won the fight via a rear naked choke submission in the first round thus being the sole person to win the title. Jackson's final fight came against

Joe Riggs Joseph Jonathan Riggs (born September 23, 1982) is an American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist who is currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2001, Riggs formerly ...

on September 29, 2007, at Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion. He lost the fight via KO due to punches in the first round.

Personal life

Jackson appeared as a playable character in the video game, ''

'' that was released in 2000. Jackson is the father of two sons, Nikko and Casey who were both mixed martial artists and worked as martial arts trainers at East Palo Alto gym and Rogue Empire respectively. Nikko died in September 2020. Jackson runs Gladiators Training Academy in East Palo Alto, California, wherein he has trained fighters that include UFC alumni, Ashlee Evans-Smith. Additionally, Jackson works for East Palo Alto youth empowerment charity, Live in Peace.

Championships and accomplishments

*Bas Rutten Invitational 1 **Bas Rutten Invitational 1 Middleweight Tournament * Strikeforce ** Strikeforce U.S. Middleweight Championship (One time, first, last)

Mixed martial arts record

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Eugene 1966 births Living people Middleweight mixed martial artists Sportspeople from California Mixed martial artists from California American male mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters