Jordan Mein VS Jason Jackson at Bellator 242

The co-main event of Bellator 242 is certainly deserving of its spot on the card.

Canada’s Jordan Mein (31-12) will make his Bellator MMA debut against the Jamaican-born Jason Jackson (11-4) in a welterweight contest on Friday night in Uncasville, CT.

This matchup was originally slated to happen back in May before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But now that the time has finally arrived for Mein, 30, to make his much-anticipated Bellator MMA debut, his father and coach, Lee, said Mein’s excitement level is sky-high.

For Jackson, 29, this will be his third appearance inside the Bellator MMA cage, after making his debut back in October, an opportunity he earned after capturing the LFA welterweight title three months prior.

When it comes to facing Mein, Jackson said he views this as an opportunity to make a big statement regarding his place in the welterweight division.

“I think this, right here, will show I’m a title contender, title-worthy, and worth promoting and marketing,” said Jackson in an interview with MMA Empire.

Having spent over five years being in Mein’s corner while he was competing in the UFC, Lee and his son have seen the highest level and most versatile of skill-sets in the game.

With Jackson being the opponent Mein was scheduled to face back in May, Lee said they’ve become familiar with what he brings to the table, and are expecting a well-rounded challenge. Mein’s tenure with the UFC finished with him riding a two-fight winning streak, most recently a unanimous decision win over Alex Morono back in July 2018 at UFC Calgary. Lee said their relationship with the UFC ended on good terms, and Mein wasn’t cut from the roster. He said it was a matter of Mein wanting to be more active.

“After his last win, he took some time off because his mom passed away and he was waiting to have knee surgery. When he was healthy and ready to get back into training and fighting, we went and talked to the UFC and they had so many guys looking to fight that they couldn’t guarantee him a fight anytime soon,” said Lee.

Jackson’s last outing was a unanimous decision victory over Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 236 in December, which also marked his first win inside the Bellator MMA cage. With that fight being on short notice, Jackson said coming away with the victory showed him he was it takes to succeed, no matter what the situation is.

“I only had about six days notice for that fight, so I just had to do my best, use what I have, and make it work,” said Jackson.