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Montel Jackson | Rising To The Challenge
Rising Bantamweight Contender Faces Toughest Test To-Date In Former Champ Deiveson Figueiredo At UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot
Montel Jackson finally finds himself inside the bantamweight division’s ultra-talented Top 15 after six straight victories dating back to March 2021.
The 33-year-old signed with the UFC following a third-round TKO victory over Rico DiSciullo on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He was immediately paired with Ricky Simón, who at the time was coming off a submission win over current UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
READ: Co-Main Event Spotlight | Deiveson Figueiredo vs Montel Jackson
While it didn’t go Jackson’s way in his debut, he rattled off three wins to prove White made the correct decision in giving him a contract. After his second setback in the UFC, Jackson collected another hat trick of wins but was still moving under the radar.
That all changed in April of 2023 when Jackson folded Rani Yahya with a quick 3-2 combination and ensuing ground-and-pound to earn a Performance of the Night bonus. He followed that finish with a one-punch KO of Da’Mon Blackshear at UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs Cortez to earn a second performance bonus and prove that his speed and power were nothing to mess with inside the Octagon.
Last time out, Jackson didn’t score a finish, but he became the first man to defeat Daniel Marcos, earning the No. 15 spot in the rankings. Now a true contender at 135 pounds, the Wisconsin-native isn’t wasting any time to try and climb the bantamweight ladder.
His first ranked test will come against none other than former 2-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot on October 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
UFC RIO: Fight By Fight Preview | Rise Of Vicente Luque
“This is the fight we’re always looking for,” Jackson said.
Figueiredo is currently the No. 6 ranked contender coming off back-to-back losses to former champion Petr Yan and recent title challenger Cory Sandhagen. Prior to those setbacks, “Deus da Guerra” won three in a row after moving up to the 135-pound division from flyweight, finishing Cody Garbrandt and securing decision wins over Marlon Vera and Rob Font.
Despite being in the biggest fight of his professional career, Jackson feels he can’t change what got him here.
“We got to continue to do what we did to get us here and we got to continue to do what we need to get us forward,” Jackson said. “You turn it up more and more as you go along.”
WATCH: Charles Oliveira vs Matuesz Gamrot | UFC Journey
Another element to this matchup is Jackson entering enemy territory in Figueiredo’s home country of Brazil, which he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest.
“It means nothing,” Jackson said of fighting in enemy territory. “[The fans] can’t fight for him. I’m only fighting one person.”
Stylistically, fans should be in for a treat, as both athletes possess one-punch knockout power. Jackson’s aforementioned wins over Blackshear and Yahya combined with Figueiredo’s prolific finishing record at flyweight promise fireworks inside the Octagon.
So how does Jackson expect to get the nod on Saturday? He’s playing it by ear.
MORE UFC RIO: Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot
“I’ll figure that out at the first exchange,” Jackson said. “Usually, you see how the fight will go after the first exchange.”
This is a massive opportunity for Jackson to not only add a former champ to his resume but make a jump deep into the division’s Top 10 with a win. With a champion in Dvalishvili who needs new challengers, it’s the perfect time for Jackson to seize the spotlight.
UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot took place live from Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 11, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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