Credit: Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via GettyImages
Credit: JeffSherwood/Sherdog.com
Credit: JeffSherwood/Sherdog.com
Mike
Jackson, the MMA journalist and fighter who gained notoriety
for his victory over former professional wrestling star “CM Punk”
in 2018, will return the Octagon against newcomer Dean Barry
on Jan. 20.
MMAFighting.com was first to report the bout, which is slated
for UFC Fight Night 185. The card takes place on Yas Island in Abu
Dhabi and is headlined by a welterweight tilt between Leon
Edwards and Khamzat
Chimaev.
Jackson hasn’t competed since outpointing Punk at UFC 225 in June
2018. The 35-year-old lost his promotional debut when he was
submitted by Mickey Gall
at UFC Fight Night 82, which earned Gall the right to get the first
crack at Punk. Jackson’s return comes as something of a surprise
following the
criticism he received from Dana White for not finishing the
fight at UFC 225.
“Michael Jackson, I’m not happy with,” White said. “This guy was
acting like a goofball tonight. You get this opportunity to fight
CM Punk and you’re doing like bolo punches to the body on top?
Never looked like he was trying to finish the fight ever, right?
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 was he needs to go back and do that
again. He’s 0-2 as far as I’m concerned.”
A protege of SBG Ireland coach Owen Roddy
and a decorated kickboxer, Barry enters his UFC debut with a 3-1
professional mark. Barry is coming off a first-round KO of Abdullah
Boushehri at UAE Warriors 13 on Sept. 25.