Son of former UFC veteran sets sights on ultimate success

The 18-year-old faces Daniel Holt in a lightweight fight on Friday night.

And with his proud dad Mike in his corner, the lightweight is feeling confident ahead of his appearance in Manchester.

“I’ve been training really hard as always and I’m more than ready now, I just want to get in there,” Jack said.

“I don't see any danger in this fight. I’m confident wherever it goes, striking, grappling, anywhere.

"I know I’m going to be too much for him and will win by any means necessary.”

The fight takes place on Manchester’s Anthony Pettis FC card – the recently formed promotion created by the ex-UFC lightweight champion - as the promotion makes the trip across the Atlantic for its first card outside of the United States.

With Jack’s father being an MMA veteran with experience in the sport’s premier division, the UFC, he’s been getting some expert tips ahead of the bout.

“It’s good to have someone who you’re really comfortable with in your corner, but during fights it’s strictly business, he’s my coach then he’s not my dad,” Jack said.

While he wasn’t looking past Holt, Jack spoke about his future plans within the sport where his sights remain firmly set on the UFC.

“The main goal is always to be UFC champion, whatever the best path to the UFC is, that’ll be my route,” he said.

When asked about his hopes for Jack’s career, Mike - who trains alongside top UK MMA talent such as Darren Till, Tom Aspinall and Paddy Pimblett - has no doubt in his son’s ability.

“It’s bred into him that if you do it, you do it properly so he’s going to be aiming for the UFC and I fully believe he will become the UFC champion one day,” the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist said.

The pair also expressed a desire to one day fight on the same card, with organisation PFL - the Professional Fighters League – the likely destination due to their recent inclusion of

amateur MMA fighters.

“I’d love to fight on the same card as Jack, I don’t think that’s something that any father and son have done, that’s definitely a goal of mine,” Mike said.

Jack added: “I’d love to be on that PFL and especially as it would make a good story with me and my dad.”

While the pair have never fought alongside each other, they have in fact faced each other in a wrestling match to settle a long-standing bet.

“We had a bit of a bet going on from when he was about nine-years-old, because he gave me a bit of stick when I went to the Commonwealth Games, and he said I should have got a gold, so we had a bit of banter,” Mike said.

Once Jack had turned 18, the pair settled this bet, by facing each other in a wrestling match which Mike used as a fairytale ending to his 30-year wrestling career.

While Mike won the match, Jack remains adamant one day he will beat his father.

He joked: “If it was when I was 21, I would have won.”