In a remarkable turn of events, UFC star Jack Jankings shared an intriguing story about an unexpected message from a fan that led to a decisive victory.
Jankings, who is making waves in the UFC, recalled how a fan, Ben P., reached out to him via direct message. Ben had meticulously analyzed Jankings’ opponent and presented a unique strategy based on his observations.
In his own words, Jankings told unlaced podcast how the sequence of events transpired: “I checked my message requests after the contender series got announced, and I had this message from this kid. His name is Ben P., and he says, Hey, mate, I’ve watched every fight I can find of the guy you fought in two things. Your leg kicks at work. And I went on this Peruvian website and I found a photo of him, and his eye got cut open in a fight.”
“Ben sent me this photo that he’s Googled. He’s gone diving into South American media to find the guy I fought. I was split right open. And that’s the only fight the guy had lost was that his eye was split right open, and he goes, ‘So I think if you can touch him there, his eye will be pried open.'”
Grateful for the unexpected insight, Jankings responded with appreciation: “Thanks, bro. Like, that’s good. I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll think about that.’ And I just remember getting on the ground and thinking, if I hit this, it’s going to bust open. So you’re thinking of Ben’s advice while aiming for this precise spot, and I hit him, and it splits up, and I’m like, ‘Oh, f**k, I was right.'”
Jankings eventually secured a third-round TKO victory over Freddy Emiliano Linares. This impressive win earned him a coveted UFC contract. Jankings acknowledged that the week’s intense pressure affected his performance but expressed satisfaction with his overall performance after the fact.
Reflecting on the event, Jankings stated, “Huge week of emotions. I just caught Dana for a couple of minutes out in the back and just sort of spoke about the performance and said, ‘Mate, it was such a pressure cooker this week.’ I had some troubles getting a visa, so we ended up flying in late. I got in at 10:30 and got picked up at 6:30 to come here and do media, and it was all a bit of a whirlwind.”
Although Jankings initially questioned whether his performance was enough to earn a UFC deal, he was ultimately rewarded with a contract. Now, he looks ahead to face the formidable competition in the UFC, recognizing that the real challenges lie ahead.