[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag] overcame one of the filthiest cuts in recent memory to defeat [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 194.
After dominating Rosa (14-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) in the grappling department for the first two rounds of the featherweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Jackson (19-4-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) came out looking to close the door on a win in the third. Instead, though, he ended up fighting for his life.
Rosa came out to start Round 3 with an incredible reverse elbow that opened up a horrific cut around Jackson’s left eye. The fight spilled to the ground with Jackson taking the back, but blood poured out like a faucet, drenching the mat. He couldn’t finish the fight and there was fear it would be stopped, but the cageside doctor let it go on (via Twitter):
WHAT. AN. ELBOW. 🤯 #UFCVegas39 pic.twitter.com/6XdEs8pgIw
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
Damon Jackson literally just pouring blood out of his head. #UFCVegas39 pic.twitter.com/7as97ktl10
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 9, 2021
#UFCVegas39 pic.twitter.com/yEM5hOFxZI
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 9, 2021
Jackson and Rosa then went tooth-and-nail until the final bell, and while Rosa had his best moments at that point, Jackson still kept it up and managed to get his hand raised by unanimous decision and scores of 29-28, 29-27, and 30-27.
“I didn’t really feel it. It didn’t hurt, but when I looked down I saw like, ‘It’s really pouring out,'” Jackson said during his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “I felt like I was in control. I was hoping to hold him down a little better and get some more ground and pound. I wasn’t quite sure how the judges would see it.”
The trend of results continued for Rosa with his defeat. He’s now alternated wins and losses over the entirety of his 11-fight UFC tenure.
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