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The featherweight returns to the promotion after more than four years.
Damon Jackson is back in the UFC and will take on fellow featherweight Mirsad Bektic on just two-days’ notice at UFC Vegas 11.
Bektic was expected to face Luiz Eduardo Garagorri, but due to a positive COVID-19 test from one of his cornermen, Garagorri was pulled from the fight earlier this week. On Thursday, Bloody Canvas reported that Jackson was called in as the replacement for Garagorri and the news was later confirmed by Jackson himself on Facebook.
Jackson (17-3) has competed in the UFC previously, but finished up his first stint with a loss to Yancy Medeiros at UFC 177 followed by a No Contest to Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves. He also drew against Levan Makashvili at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Bader.
Jackson would leave the promotion in 2016 and went on to compete in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) for several years — eventually becoming an interim champion — before joining the Professional Fighters League in 2019.
After a brief stint in the PFL, Jackson returned to LFA, where he most recently picked up a first-round submission over Mauro Chalet.
Bektic is currently on a career-first two-fight losing streak after being knocked out by Josh Emmett at UFC Fight Night: de Randamie vs. Ladd and dropping a split decision to Dan Ige at UFC 247.
Prior to those losses to Emmett and Ige, Bektic earned a stoppage win over Godofredo Pepey in a Performance of the Night awarded showing and a split decision over Ricardo Lamas.
UFC Vegas 11 is headlined by a welterweight clash between former champions Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley.