The featured preliminary card bout at UFC Vegas 60 was a promising featherweight affair between surging talents Damon Jackson and Pat Sabatini.
Both fighters entered the night on solid win streaks, with Jackson having won three straight, and Sabatini six, with four of those under the UFC banner.
An impressive win could leave the victor on the outskirts of the top 15. But for Jackson, the fight took on a different feel, with the death of his brother Bradley just a week out from the event.
In the first real exchange, Jackson rocked Sabatini with a front kick just as Pat had ducked down, looking to shoot in. That resulted in Sabatini slumping forward, and Jackson going on the attack. Jackson would eventually take the back, dropping ground n’ pound as Sabatini covered up, then rolled over, barely defending. After a moment, the ref waved it off. An emotional Damon Jackson then slumped forward, letting out what was no doubt a week’s worth of pent-up emotional.
With the result announced, it was revealed that Sabatini had verbally submitted. Jackson, who had taken the nickname “Action” Jackson for the night as a tribute to his brother, admitted that “it doesn’t feel real yet” and said there was “no chance of me not fighting.”
“This is the only time I feel normal, when I get to come out here and compete,” said Jackson, who admitted that the hard stuff was ahead. The featherweight also revealed he had a partially torn pec in the fight.
Official Result: Damon Jackson def. Pat Sabatini by TKO, Round 1, 1:09
