One of the fighters from the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card might be biting the hand that fed him. MMA veteran Jason Jackson is speaking out against MVP MMA after his fight against Jeff Creighton featured on the preliminary portion of the Rousey-Carano card last Saturday. Although he won and reportedly made $110,000 from the fight, Jackson feels disrespected by the Jake Paul-led promotion for not being an ex-UFC star.
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“From what I was kind of taking note, it was just more to the UFC fighters [who were] treated like a valuable fighter,” Jackson told Ariel Helwani. “So maybe I need to go to the UFC and make a statement, then probably come back to MVP and show them I’m a valuable player… I didn’t feel like I was treated like it, and I ain’t been on a prelim card since forever.
“I’ve been on the main event. Bellator. PFL Championship fight. So for me to be in that position, I was like, wow, this is disrespect.”
Jason Jackson says he felt disrespected being on the MVP MMA prelims. Says it felt like the former UFC fighters were the ones treated like valuable fighters: Maybe I need to go to the UFC and make a statement and then probably come back to MVP and show them I'm a valuable Show more
Since Jason Jackson competed on the preliminary card, his fight aired live and free on YouTube rather than on the Netflix-broadcast main card. He appeared frustrated by the placement, feeling the promotion favored fighters with UFC ties. To an extent, that perception is understandable, as the MVP MMA event was largely marketed around some of the biggest names connected to the UFC.
With so many recognizable UFC stars on the lineup, fighters from other promotions were always at risk of being overshadowed. Despite more than a decade of experience competing in Bellator and the PFL, many casual fans likely weren’t familiar with Jackson before the event. Still, MVP MMA seemingly compensated him well for the appearance.
If a UFC move eventually materializes, the bigger question will be whether the promotion offers him a comparable payday. Jackson also previously fell short on Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2017, raising doubts about whether he would receive another opportunity. At 35 years old, a UFC debut is still possible, but he likely needs more standout performances to capture the promotion’s attention.
At the time of writing, the free YouTube prelims had reportedly surpassed 2.2 million views, with some reports claiming the stream peaked at around 400,000 concurrent viewers. So while Jackson may not have landed on the main card, he still received significant exposure. More importantly, he made the most of it by scoring a stunning 22-second knockout over Jeff Creighton on the Rousey vs. Carano card—exactly the kind of finish that can turn heads.
He was originally supposed to fight Lorenz Larkin, but an injury forced the promotion to bring in Creighton at the last moment, which kind of ruins Jackson’s 22-second finish. But he shouldn’t lose hope because the UFC has already signed a fighter from the MVP MMA card.
Dana White steals a fighter from Jake Paul
Namo Fazil drew major attention after submitting Jake Babian with a second-round anaconda choke at the Intuit Dome. During his post-fight interview, Fazil called out Arman Tsarukyan, saying the two “needed to talk.”
Moments later, the rivalry exploded cageside as the pair exchanged words before Tsarukyan attempted to jump the barrier. Security quickly stepped in to stop the situation from escalating further. As it turns out, Tsarukyan has called the Kurdish people ‘gypsies,’ Fazil, a Kurdish fighter, didn’t like Tsarukyan’s comments.
“We train at the same gym,” Fazil wrote in his Instagram story. “Call me a gyps little man, when you see me. @arm_011, come and call me a gyps when you see me, okay? Let me finish my fight (and) I will see you soon.”
The altercation that ensued between them, however, ended up helping Fazil grab even more attention. And later, it was confirmed that Namo Fazil will compete on Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1 on August 12, with his opponent yet to be announced.
So, Jason Jackson can still move to the UFC. But he needs to hurry if he wants to return to the MVP, as he said. Do you think the UFC will sign the MMA veteran?
