Jason Jackson says mindset won the welterweight belt at Bellator 301: “He was scared”

Friday marked a new era in Jamaican MMA, as Jason Jackson shocked the mixed martial arts world with a third-round KO against previously unbeaten welterweight kingpin Yaroslav Amosov in the main event of Bellator 301.

Although it may go down as an upset in the history books, for Jason Jackson, 33, it was meant to be.

Entering the bout on a six-fight win streak, Jason Jackson saw a shift in the Ukrainian champion’s demeanor during fight week, putting him right where he wanted him.

“No, I didn’t think he underestimated me,” Jackson said after the win. “I think he was scared a little bit. The fact that he wanted to be friendly and all that. And then, after the press [conference on Wednesday], I just switched gears and said, ‘I’m not gonna be laughing and put you in all that friendly-friendly stuff. I’m coming out to fight you.’”

RELATED: Bellator 301: ‘Amosov vs. Jackson’ Live Results And Highlights

Jackson did just that, landing big shots throughout the fight before finding an opening to close the deal, to the tune of the Wintrust Arena Chicago-based crowd.

Jason Jackson said, unlike Amosov’s previous opponents, one mindset attribute that Jackson said he possessed was missing from his first 26 victims.

And it paid off.

“He just didn’t have that grit, that hunger,” Jason Jackson said. “I was hungry, and I had a grit. I’m an all-around fighter. I could do it all. I’m athletic. I’m explosive, and I could hit hard for a skinny guy. I hit hard. I’m a very intelligent fighter, so I fought smart and I just kept my composure, and I showed up.”

Similarly to the rest of the MMA community, Jackson doesn’t know what Bellator’s future entails beginning in 2024, but he does know that his victory, as he put it, is a perfect bookend to a storied promotion.

“Bellator saved the best for last,” he said.

What are your thoughts on Jason Jackson’s welterweight title win from Friday? Let us know, Penn Nation!