LAS VEGAS – Damon Jackson has two requests for the UFC brass.
The UFC featherweight is hoping to get a spot on the upcoming UFC 277 event in Dallas on July 30, and also get a fight booking against fellow veteran Darren Elkins. These goals come after Jackson (21-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to three in a row on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 27 in Las Vegas.
Jackson defeated newcomer Daniel Argueta by a unanimous decision on the preliminary portion of the card.
The 33-year-old fights out of Dallas and says an opportunity to fight there would be a meaningful moment in his career.
“Dana (White), Sean (Shelby), you guys give me that Dallas card,” Jackson said. “People don’t know this, but I was born and raised about an hour from Dallas, so having that fight there is as close to a hometown fight as I could ever get.
“My entire pro career has been based out of Dallas. So I was 3-0 when I moved to Dallas and I’ve been fighting there since 2013, so it would just be incredible to fight at the American Airlines Center. … It would just be cool as hell. And I told my kids, you know, I would never let them come to the (UFC) Apex, I would never let them go to a different country to watch me fight, but I was like, if I fight in Dallas, I was like, you guys can go. We’ll get a box, and we’ll just sit you guys up in the box and you can see. It would be so cool to fight in Dallas and be in front of my family and friends.”
The placement on UFC 277 is a priority for Jackson. But if he could add the cherry on top and make a second order, Jackson would love to fight Elkins, who last fought at the end of April and has yet to be booked for a return.
“I want Darren Elkins,” Jackson said. “I would love to have that fight. He’s a guy that you call and he’s going to be like, ‘Yeah, I’ll be there, whatever.’ He’s down to fight. I know he would bring the fight for sure and I would love that fight, you know? Whoever they call me to fight, I’ll take it. I’m not going to turn a fight down and I think Sean (Shelby) knows that and I think everyone knows that if you want to call me out, I’m game. Let’s go.”
