It’ll come as a surprise to many, but Mike Jackson will make his UFC return in January.
Two and half years after his fight with CM Punk, Mike Jackson will make an unexpected return to the UFC welcoming newcomer Dean Barry in a January event.
MMA Fighting revealed the news. The fight will take place at 170-pounds at a UFC event on January 20th.
Jackson (1-1) is one of the few fighters to make his professional debut in the UFC. After losing to Mickey Gall by submission in just 45-seconds in 2016, Jackson fought former WWE star Phil “CM Punk” Brooks at UFC 225 in June 2018 winning the fight by unanimous decision.
UFC president Dana White said after the win that as far as he was concerned, Jackson was 0-2 due to him acting like a “goofball” in the fight. Vowing to never let Jackson fight again, not even the Contender Series, his return to the octagon in January comes as a surprise.
Barry (3-1) is relatively young in his professional career making his debut in 2017. Signed to the UFC in November, “The Sniper” most recently fought for UAE Warriors winning by first-round KO.