Because his winning streak has been spread out over four years and he tends to say as little as possible whenever a microphone is in front of him, fans haven’t fully recognized just how talented and dangerous Montel Jackson is just yet. All of that could change on Saturday as “Quik” squares off with Deiveson Figueiredo.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’18, the 33-year-old Milwaukee native lost his debut to Ricky Simon but has gone 9-1 since, including wins in his last six. He earned back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses for first-round knockouts of Rani Yahya and Da’Mon Blackshear, and bounced Daniel Marcos from the ranks of the unbeaten last time out, advancing to 15-2 overall in the process.
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Jackson is the kind of guy that fans and forecasters would be salivating over if he were a few years younger or had more of a social media presence because his foundational skills are outstanding and his measurables are off the charts. In addition to having giant hands and a tremendous frame for the division, Jackson was on an Olympic wrestling path before shifting to MMA, and that strong base has allowed him to slowly, but steadily, round out the rest of his game to where he is a bit of a “pick your poison” risk for anyone standing opposite him inside the Octagon.
Saturday’s clash with Figueiredo is certainly a step up in competition and the toughest assignment he has faced on paper, but it also feels like a matchup with favorable elements. Jackson will have a 5-inch height advantage and 7.5-inch reach advantage on the former flyweight champion, who enters on a two-fight slide and coming off a bout where he suffered a knee injury.
Jackson spent the last couple years of the doorstep of the rankings, creeping in momentarily here and there but falling out as others log wins and his time between appearances extends. Bantamweight is ultra-competitive at all times, but extending his winning streak to seven and turning aside Figueiredo feels like the kind of victory that could earn the DWCS grad a permanent place in the Top 15 and an even bigger challenge next time out.
