Damon Jackson was given all of three days to prepare for his UFC return against the better known Mirsad Bektić Saturday night in Las Vegas after Eduardo Garagorri tested positive for COVID-19.
After the UFC parted ways with him back in 2016, it was not a foregone conclusion that Jackson would return. That obviously changed on the heels of the Garagorri news.
It did not take Jackson too long to prove his worth in the Octagon. In the process, he made some major waves by talking trash to Bektić after a rare guillotine choke submission in Round 3.
As you can see, someone in Jackson’s corner at the Apex could also be heard yelling “three days notice.”
For Jackson, this is both a good and a bad look. This represented his first UFC win in four attempts in his first fight at this level since a draw against Levan Makashvili back in 2016. He was also a 3/1 betting underdog. The bad look includes showing his opponent up in a big way. We’re not sure how Dana White and Co. are going to take to this.
Jackson’s submission and post-fight antics added another layer to what has already been an entertaining afternoon in Las Vegas, even before the main event gets going.