Athletes
Dustin Jacoby | 52 Fights And Counting
Light Heavyweight Steps Into Short-Notice Bout Against Julius Walker Ready To Kick Off His 2026 Campaign
Dustin Jacoby was getting ready to board his flight to Sydney, Australia, when he got the call that his opponent for UFC 325, Jimmy Crute, was injured and had to withdraw from the fight. Still planning to corner his teammate Cody Brundage in Sydney, the light heavyweight got on the plane with hopes that maybe UFC would be able to find a replacement.
While that wasn’t the case, Jacoby was offered a fight for the weekend after UFC 325 at the META Apex in Las Vegas, but it was someone with whom he had crossed paths before.
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“Julius (Walker) and I had trained together for a little bit; he came out to Factory X, and we have the same management team,” Jacoby said. “I've been a big fan of his. I've been in communication with him since training with them, and I actually reached out to him on Instagram as like, hey man, I saw your opponent fell off. Jason just reached out to me about a matchup with you. I'm ready to go. I just don't want to be disrespectful. And he came back and said, ‘Hey, man, we're both professionals. We're both competitors. It'd be an honor to share the Octagon with you.’ Without hesitation, I accepted.”
The mindset to reach out to a former training partner before accepting the fight is a true showing of Jacoby’s character and experience as a fighter. This year marks his 16th year as a mixed martial artist, and to say Jacoby has been through it all would be an understatement. He had his first professional bout in November 2010 and was signed to UFC in 2011, where he came into the Octagon with an undefeated record.
“Gotta go through it to get to it.” - @thehanyakdj
— Factory X (@FactoryXMTMMA) January 24, 2026
New date, new opponent, new country; still runnin’ down a dream…
2/7 📍 Las Vegas vs Julius Walker #FactoryX #Xonthechest
Graphic: @WestTillDeath pic.twitter.com/TBgqth84Vc
But, after dropping back-to-back contests, “The Hanayk” got cut and spent some time competing in Glory Kickboxing before making his way back to the Octagon in 2020. And when he reflected on it in his pre-fight interview with UFC.com earlier this week, the 37-year-old realized how much of an accomplishment it is to make it this far in this sport.
“I felt like I've had multiple careers,” Jacoby said. “To be here today at 37 really is a blessing, man. A lot of things have to go right for you mentally, physically, to be in the position I am right now, and I've just been very blessed. I've continued to persevere, and I've continued to stay the course. I've never doubted myself. I've never lost hope. I've never lost faith, and I think that really shows in my performances, especially here later in my career.”
He takes that experience and knowledge into his short-notice matchup against Julius Walker, who only makes the walk to the Octagon for the third time. Walker made his debut last February in Seattle, where he lost a split decision, but then picked up his first win last August.
Jacoby knows he is the veteran in this situation, and he thrives in that position.
“I've been forged in fire,” Jacoby said. “The wins, the losses, the moments, everything has led me to this one here. I've had more professional losses than Julius has had professional fights. I really do believe that my power and my experience is going to be the tale of the tape in this one. Julius is young. He's explosive. He is the future, and I think he's thinking that those same thoughts that this is going to be his moment because of that, but I've already lived those moments. I certainly understand that pressure is a privilege, and I really do believe that's what's going to lead me to victory this weekend.”
Sixteen years in, Jacoby knows the end of his career is closer than the beginning. With 52 professional fights under his belt, Jacoby acknowledged that while he doesn’t have another 52 under his belt, he is still very much in the mix and wants to extend his two-fight win streak with another knockout performance on Saturday night.
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“As long as my body holds up, as long as I'm feeling good, I've slowed a little bit in training, but I have not slowed in the Octagon, and I think that my past performances speak for themselves,” Jacoby said. “I don't want to necessarily go to the wheels fall off, but I do think I have a little bit of fight left in me. I know I have a little bit of fight left in me, and I'll prove that again this weekend. I'm definitely not going to overstay my welcome…I do know I'm at the end, and I'm just going to make the most of the opportunities that are given to me right now.”
And how does he make the most of Saturday night? The answer is simple.
“The perfect Saturday is going in there getting a big knockout. Which, if you ask me how I win a fight. I'll always tell you by knockout, the proof's in the pudding. I'm not just saying that I truly believe I'm going go in there, knock him out, and then I'm going to call for the White House card.”
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