 To say that Keith Jardine was under pressure heading into his UFC 89 fight with Brandon Vera would be an understatement. For a guy who has defeated future hall-of-famer Chuck Liddell and current champion Forrest Griffin, it’s hard to even fathom that Jardine was fighting to stay relevant in the UFC.
Fifteen minutes later and Jardine now finds himself back in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division. Don’t get me wrong, Jardine never left but he was certainly on his way out if he suffered another loss.
For all of the big wins that Jardine has accumulated, he’s also ran into his fair share of bad losses. It only took Houston Alexander and Wanderlei Silva a combined :84 seconds to defeat Jardine. Combine that with a loss to Stephan Bonner earlier in his UFC career, it would be easy to understand where Jardine stood.
“I’m sure I’m gonna get another top 10 guy real soon. No easy fights for me,” Jardine said after his win over Vera.
Jardine admits that he’s ready to take himself to the next level but he doesn’t see the UFC’s crowded Light Heavyweight division clearing up anytime soon. “I’m done messing around, I’ve had a couple of big wins, I’ve had a couple of big losses,” Jardine continued.
If you’re wondering what’s next for Jardine, don’t worry because he’ll be busy helping his teammate Rashad Evans train for Forrest Griffin, the same Forrest Griffin that he beat back at UFC 66.
|
Email Updates
Email Story
Print Story