UPDATE: This bout between Mike Jackson and Dean Barry will now be taking place on May 1.
Mike Jackson of CM Punk fame is back and will be making his Octagon return against UFC newcomer Dean Barry at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Chimaev.
The last time we saw Mike Jackson, he was pummeling former WWE superstar CM Punk (Phil Brooks) into another line of work at UFC 225 in 2018. But in doing so, he also put himself back on the job market according to Dana White, who was not impressed with what he saw.
“Michael Jackson, I’m not happy with,” White said following UFC 225. “This guy was acting like a goofball tonight. You get this opportunity to come in and fight CM Punk, and you’re doing like bolo punches to the body…never looked like he was trying to finish the fight ever.
“It looked like he could have finished the fight a few times, never tried. I don’t know what that guy did for a living before we gave him this shot, but whatever it is, he needs to go back and do that again. He’s 0-2 as far as I’m concerned.”
It took over two full years, but Dana White appears to have had a change of heart according to this MMA Junkie Report. Mike Jackson has not competed since his victory over CM Punk and is currently 1-1 as a professional. His opponent, Dean “The Sniper” Barry, will be making his UFC debut with a record of 3-1. All three of his victories have come by way of KO/TKO.
With the addition of this welterweight bout, the current January 20 Fight Night card includes the following bouts:
Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
Viviane Araujo vs. Roxanne Modafferi
Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
Francisco Figueredo vs. Jerome Rivera
Mike Jackson vs. Dean Barry
Are you excited to see Mike Jackson make his Octagon return against Dean Barry on January 20?
