Terrance Jean-Jacques is waiting his turn for the UFC call.
Heavyweight prospect Jean-Jacques (8-3) has won five of his past six, with his lone loss in that stretch against Season 30 “Ultimate Fighter” finalist Zac Pauga.
The 29-year-old NCAA All-American wrestler most recently was seen in action in May when he beat Yimaz Wildman by unanimous decision to win the “Road To ONE” heavyweight tournament. Although winning the tournament has given Jean-Jacques an invitation to be a part of the ONE Championship roster, he’s looking at the bigger picture.
“I feel like I’m UFC ready because I’ve had the time to develop over the years I’ve been doing this,” Jean-Jacques told MMA Junkie. “I’ve had to watch lesser fighters get a shot at (Dana White’s) Contender Series and get the call up, and I know I can beat some of these guys. I’ve never looked to fight easy competition, and I feel like I’ve been battle tested. I’ve never been told I had a boring fight, and my only legitimate loses are against UFC-level competition.”
With the heavyweight division not being as stacked as the other weight classes in the UFC, Jean-Jacques sees an opening for himself.
“The heavyweight division is how it’s always been, or at least for a while now,” Jean-Jacques said. “It’s an open weight class, with not much depth, where anyone can break through. I also believe that the heart and grind I put in is unmatched against most of these heavyweights. Anything can happen, but I feel a lot of these guys are just slow and overweight. I’ve been competing at a high level since a little kid. I know I’m built for this, and I know what I’m fighting for.”
The UFC introduced new heavyweights to the roster through TUF 30, which just crowned a winner earlier this month. Mohammed Usman, brother of ex-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, won the show when he knocked out Pauga.
“This wasn’t the best season of ‘TUF’ by any stretch, I feel was the majority opinion,” Jean-Jacques said. “I had a few opponents drop out because they got called up for ‘TUF’ and I ended up fighting Irvins Ayala, who actually also went out to try and get on the season. I also fought Zac Pauga at light heavyweight before this season came about.
“So I was definitely interested in seeing how this played out. I just thought some of those fighters didn’t belong there, and again, it motivated me to keep winning to eventually be heard. Now I’ve just been in the darkness until I’m called to the light, is how I look at it. Everybody gets chances, even multiple opportunities, but I’m waiting for mine. When my time comes, I’ll be ready.”
