Damon Jackson Record: 23-8-1

UFC return

Back in the Octagon, Jackson found his footing – though a December 2020 first-round knockout loss to rising star Ilia Topuria was a tough night. He answered with the best stretch of his UFC career, taking a unanimous decision over Charles Rosa in October 2021, then submitting Kamuela Kirk with a second-round arm-triangle choke in March 2022. He kept the run going with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Dan Argueta in June 2022 and a first-round TKO of Pat Sabatini that September.

The competition stiffened from there. Jackson was stopped by a second-round knockout from Dan Ige in January 2023, dropped a unanimous decision to Billy Quarantillo that August, then rebounded with a split-decision win over Alexander Hernandez in April 2024. He fell to Chepe Mariscal by unanimous decision in August 2024 and was submitted by veteran Jim Miller with a first-round guillotine at UFC 309 in November 2024.

Fighting style

Jackson is a grappling-first finisher who lives up to "The Leech," clinging to opponents, advancing position and hunting chokes from every angle. Of his 23 wins, 15 have come by submission – a remarkable haul built on the rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes – for a finish rate around 83 percent. His wrestling background lets him control where fights take place, and his best UFC nights have come when he turns bouts into grappling exchanges. The clearest vulnerability is on the feet against heavy hitters: all four of his knockout losses came against punchers who caught him before he could close the distance and impose his game.

Career highlights

• Submission machine — 15 of his 23 wins by tapout, one of the most prolific choke artists in the featherweight division.
• Four-fight UFC surge — strung together wins over Charles Rosa, Kamuela Kirk, Dan Argueta and Pat Sabatini in 2021-22.
• Fortis MMA mainstay — a Missouri Valley College All-American wrestler turned cornerstone of the Dallas-area gym.