Dustin Jacoby has seen a lot of things in his martial arts journey. He’s seen the bright spots and he’s seen the not so bright spots that the sport has to offer. He’s seen a 7-fight UFC unbeaten streak, and was also once released following a 2-fight losing streak.
So maybe it isn’t surprising that the Factory X product isn’t too down on himself after dropping 2 straight fights. Some of that may be due to having seen it all, but it also has to do with Jacoby’s perspective on being a martial artist.
“It’s definitely a rollercoaster ride. I’ve been doing this sport for a long time – 13 years professionally. There’s a lot ups and downs, man,” Jacoby explained. “You can’t be defined by your wins and losses. There’s so much value in both outcomes.”
While he sees values in all of his contests, that does not mean he never struggles with his mindset. In fact, following a recent controversal loss, he had to remind himself of what has gotten him to this point.
“You have to keep a positive mindset. You have to keep doing you daily routines that make you better. Be 1% better everyday,” he said. “It hasn’t been easy, of course. After the Rountree fight, that took a lot out of me. It was very upsetting, especially when 15 of the 16 guys that covered the fight thought I had won…You have to move on. You can’t get caught up in the past.”
And while he’s managed not to dwell on the losses that come and go, he is itching to right that ship come this weekend. Over a year since he beat Da-Un Jung with a vicious knockout, he’s ready to get that hand raised again.
“It’s been a long year – it’s been over a year now since I’ve had my last victory inside the octagon,” Jacoby said. “I’m going to go in there and fight with all my heart, and I’m going to get my hand raised.”
He’ll get the opportunity to do just that against Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC Nashville. That fight will take place on the ESPN main card, which starts at 9pm EST.
You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 2:21.
