Damon Jackson views Dan Ige as 'a big opportunity' at UFC Fight Night 217

LAS VEGAS – Damon Jackson took matters into his own hands when booking his next fight.

Instead of talking trash or making public callouts, Jackson (22-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) messaged a few fighters – including Dan Ige, who agreed to fight him. As a result, Jackson got booked against Ige (15-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 217 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Not only did Jackson get what he want, he will get a chance to enter the UFC featherweight rankings.

“I’m getting the opportunity to fight someone ranked,” Jackson told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at UFC Fight Night 217 media day. “You set out this goal, and you want to be the UFC champion, and you never know what it actually takes to get there. So to have a straight vision on where I want to be and how to get there is pretty awesome. This is a big opportunity for me, and I’m not taking it lightly. This whole training camp has been harder than ever and more mentally and physically demanding than ever, and I’m here. It’s fight week.”

Jackson is 5-1 since re-joining the UFC roster in 2020. He earned his first UFC bonus when he needed just over a minute to finish Pat Sabatini this past September, and “Action Jackson” anticipates another bonus when fighting “50K” Ige.

“He’s got the nickname for a reason,” Jackson said of Ige. “He comes out swinging, we both come forward, it’s gonna be a fight for sure.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 217.