UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Jason Jackson passed his biggest career test to date.
Jackson took on former UFC and WEC lightweight champion and former Bellator title challenger Benson Henderson in a welterweight contest in Thursday’s Bellator 253 co-main event.
On his biggest career stage against his highest-profile opponent, Jackson (13-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) picked up a dominant unanimous decision win and outpointed Henderson 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards.
“It shows my maturity,” Jackson said at the post-fight news conference. “It shows that I have matured since I joined Bellator. I’m growing and growing, to take out a guy like Henderson with that caliber in all departments – striking and wrestling.”
Jackson is now on a three-fight wining streak and is 6-1 in his past seven outings. The Jamaican thinks the win proves he’s among the best welterweights in Bellator and puts the title contenders and champion Douglas Lima on notice – and even lightweight champ Patricio Freire.
“Taking out a legend like Ben Henderson, it shows me I can take out the Bellator champ, even at 155,” Jackson said. “If tomorrow I decide to fight at 155 or 170, either way, I can take them out.”
Although the 30-year-old’s confidence is high, Jackson is not one to call out other fighters in the division. He hopes to keep getting high-profile bouts and knows there’s work to be done to challenge for gold.
“I just want to go out there and put on a good show,” Jackson said. “I’m not out here picking and choosing because you have a lot of guys that are ahead in the division that are putting in the work, as well. So if I have to work, I’m not willing to get something easy. I want to work to get mine so nobody can take it away from me because I worked so hard.”
