At UFC 309 last month, it appeared that Damon Jackson’s MMA career had come to an end. The 36-year old was submitted by Jim Miller in the first round at Madison Square Garden and left his gloves inside the Octagon before making his exit.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, he announced that he has decided against retirement, stating that the entire situation was overwhelming which led to him making a rash decision in the moment.
“It was a very emotional night,” Jackson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve had a lot going on this past two or three years that I haven’t really shared with anyone. I kind of kept it to myself, and I’ve just had a lot going on. It was very frustrating to go out there and be on that stage and to go out there and lose that way, a way that I’ve prided myself in with my jiu-jitsu, with my wrestling.
“To go out there and take a loss like that, it was just really frustrating – so surprising and so shocking. I couldn’t even really comprehend the fact that I just lost.”
Jackson previously competed at featherweight where at one point, following a loss to Ilia Topuria, he was riding a four-fight win streak. His meeting with Miller saw him make the move up to lightweight where he was submitted for the second time in his career. He is currently focused on taking some time off to divert his attention elsewhere but in the mean time, he’s continuing to remain active in the gym.
“I’m not done, man – I’m really not,” Jackson said. “I’ve been in the gym doing two- and three-a-days just like normal. I’m still in it 100 percent, it’s just mentally I really checked out that night and it was an overload, really. But I’m not done. I just need to figure out the path to what I want to do next. But I’m not done fighting, for sure.”
Jackson also revealed that he has three fights left on his current UFC contract and that the matchmakers are behind his decision to continue. His return won’t be anytime soon following his recent exit from the anti-doping testing pool which requires a six-month testing period before he will be cleared to compete again.
“I’m not going to fight for anybody but the UFC,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to go test the contract. I don’t give a sh*t about anybody else’s contracts. I don’t care about anyone else. If I ever fight again, it’ll be with UFC. I told Sean, ‘Listen, I’m going to take some time off. I’m probably not even going to fight until this summer.’”