Fox Sports Australia’s Nick Walshaw brings you all the latest news and views in Aussie and global MMA in his weekly column, The Takedown.
Australia’s rising featherweight star Jack Jenkins is looking to build on one of the most bizarre records in UFC history this weekend, warning: “If I see that leg there, I’ll break it”.
Ranked among the nation’s most exciting MMA prospects, Jenkins will be looking to continue a tear now stretching eight fights — and five busted legs — against American Jamall Emmers at UFC Florida on Sunday.
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In his past six fights, the 30-year-old Melburnian has broken the leg of four separate rivals.
Incredibly, that figure doesn’t include his Octagon debut at UFC 284 in February, where he also busted the leg of rival Don Shainis so badly the American was banned from flying home from Perth for eight days.
Jenkin’s bizarre, and growing, list of victims is one the featherweight not only takes great pride in, but is now looking to build on against Emmers – who is himself coming off a February win against Russia’s Khusein Askhabov
“If I see that leg there this Sunday I will break it,” the fighter told Fox Sports Australia this week from his camp in Jacksonville, Florida.
So you think he is aware?
“Oh, 100 per cent — Jamall has to be aware,” he continued.
“And if not, I’m going to keep kicking it.
“If any opponent stands in such a manner where I can get access to that leg, I’m going to blast it.
“And everyone knows if I blast it, you won’t move well.”
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Usually, because your leg is broken.
A truth proved across a trio of Australian title fights, where Jenkins broke the leg of popular local fighters like Jason Petropoulos, Jesse Medina and Diego Pereira — the latter of whom also suffered a busted jaw in what was a championship barnburner.
Then in his Octagon debut at UFC 284, Jenkins also left Shainis hospitalised and unable to fly for more than a week.
“So I didn’t break the leg,” he concedes.
“But the damage to the ligaments and soft tissue was so bad that he was grounded in Perth for eight days.
“But even not including that one, I’ve broken the legs of four of my past six opponents.”
So as for Emmers?
“Really tough guy,” Jenkins admitted.
“And definitely the toughest opponent I’ve faced.
“He’s long, tall and a good scrambler, so it’s on me to find the range, get inside and close him down.”
And as for breaking more limbs?
“Even beyond that, I’m working on what I can do once fighters start trying to address my leg kick,” Jenkins explained.
“I know rivals now will adjust certain things to stop me from kicking their leg.
“So what can I then do when somebody changes their stance? What are my options? What weapons can I now use to take advantage of the fact they’re no longer standing how they normally would?”
AFL STAR URGED TO BOX
Still on Jenkins, and the fighter says Collingwood superstar Jordan De Goey would make an immediate impact if he ever wanted to have a crossover boxing fight.
For the best part of 18 months now, De Goey and Jenkins have been training together in what is increasingly proving to be a positive alliance, and growing friendship.
So what chance a De Goey fight?
Already, Australian boxing promoters No Limit have received a heap of interest from current NRL players about stepping up at the end of this year to fill the breach left by retired NSW Origin star Paul Gallen.
While AFL players have traditionally found it harder to gain permission for crossover bouts, Jenkins has no doubt his great mate and training partner would be more than capable now or, more likely, after he retires from football
“In training, we go hard and Jordie is really talented,” the UFC featherweight insists
“If he wanted to look at a different career after footy … yeah, he’s got great hands and is super explosive.
“(Laughs) It just means that every now and then I have to put him on the ground, do a bit of wrestling, just to remind him who is who.”
Asked about the partnership, Jenkins said it was born in the 2022 preseason, when De Goey was stood down by Collingwood after that now infamous trip to New York.
While barred from Magpies HQ, the footballer and fighter trained in private, and almost complete anonymity, inside the Absolute MMA gym.
“I wasn’t even in the UFC at that stage,” Jenkins continues.
“But somebody reached out to his manager and said ‘hey I reckon it would be worthwhile for Jordie to meet up with this guy and do some work with him’.
“So eventually I had a meeting with his manager who asked if I would be interested and I said ‘yeah, absolutely’.
“I just said that because I didn’t know Jordan, if we trained and didn’t get along then I wouldn’t continue because it wasn’t going to be worth my time.
“But first session we got on great; we were laughing, taking the p … out of each other — he couldn’t be a better bloke.
“And we’ve been mates ever since.
“We started out doing private sessions – ran together, boxed together — and it’s now turned into a great friendship where we hang out together, hit pads and I go watch most of his games.
“We’ve really been able to help each other which is great.”
‘ROBBED’ TAFA CHASES $50K BONUS
Popular Queensland heavyweight Justin Tafa has promised to find out if his rival is “about that life” at Sunday’s UFC Fight Night event in Jacksonville, Florida this Sunday.
Already on a run of consecutive first round KOs — against Harry Hunsucker and Parker Porter — Tafa now welcomes former NFL player Austen Lane to the Octagon.
While the American boasts 13 MMA fights, he has never fought in the UFC – where Tafa has already made six appearances.
Asked about the bout this week, Tafa said: “He’s got more fights than me, but I feel like I’m more experienced against quality fighters.
“I’ve been in the deep end in some scraps, and I don’t know if he has. So we’ll see if he’s about that life.”
Elsewhere, Tafa said he felt “robbed” of the $50,000 performance bonus in Perth – but would be chasing a third straight KO Sunday.
“There is no surprise about what I bring,” he grinned.
“I try to entertain the crowd.
“And if his grappling doesn’t work, his chin is there for the taking.”
VOLK WANTS REMATCH
Alexander Volkanovski has suggested Islam Makhachev would likely prefer to never again fight him for the UFC lightweight title, saying: “He probably doesn’t like the rematch”.
In what shapes as one of the most hyped cards in Australian MMA history, Volkanovski will defend his featherweight strap at a blockbuster UFC 290 event also featuring fellow Aussies Robert Whittaker, Jimmy Crute, Jack Della Maddalena and Shannon Ross.
While the Las Vegas blockbuster sees ‘The Great’ thrown down against Mexico’s interim champ Yair Rodriguez, he admits to also eyeing off a Makhachev rematch before the end of the year.
Back in February, the Wollongong native made a push for ‘champ champ’ status at UFC 284 in Perth – only to take a contentious decision loss against Makhachev.
Asked about an Australian rematch, Volkanovski told Fox Sports Australia: “Let’s just hope he wants to fight me again.
“He probably doesn’t even like to rematch me.
“So in Australia? I don’t know about that.
“But I’ll fight him anywhere.
“Losing and not getting my hand raised.
“But we move on.
“That will just add to my story.
“Because (while) I know I’ve got a challenge in Yair in front of me, I don’t think it’s disrespectful to look forward and say I know I’ll get that rematch.
“I know I’m preparing for Yair.
“And I’m planning on getting through him which then just makes for a bigger rematch.
“I’m expecting to get my hand raised, show my level of IQ, my skill and then I get to showcase it again when I get that rematch and get that lightweight title.”