After being told on Thursday he couldn’t fight on Saturday, Marshman ‘packed his bags and ran.’
Welsh fighter Jack Marshman returned to action at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal card in London, earning a hard fought split decision over John Phillips to snap a two fight losing streak. And while that win may have saved his job with the UFC, it sounds like it might get him in some hot water with his other job as a British army paratrooper.
During a post-fight media scrum, Marshman revealed he basically skipped out on his military duties to fight at the O2 Arena.
”I’ve literally gotta work that out with the Army,” he said. “Legally I’m contracted to the army. They sort of told me that I wasn’t fighting this weekend on Thursday, so I was packing my bags and running away like.”
”How did I work it out with the army? We will find out on Monday won’t we?”
Marshman didn’t seem too concerned over the situation, or his military position affecting his ability to fight in the future.
”I’ll work it out with them,” he said. “They will see what they want to do, you can’t be employed by two people at the same time, if you understand.”
”I am leaving the army in November so I’ll be able to do this full-time. I was going to anyway, I will have done my 12 years, I want to get my half pension so when I’m punch drunk and in a wheelchair I’ll have that to fall back on.”
”Not a lot of people know I am a full-time paratrooper. This is my hobby,” Marshman said. “I am fighting at the highest level possible in MMA but I am doing it as a full-time paratrooper, that is my job, that is my profession.”
Marshman sees big improvements in his future once he gets to dedicate all his time to fighting (in the cage).
”Full-time training will make a big difference,” he said with a smile. “I haven’t reached my 30s yet. I am learning every day.”