The rise of the “Silverback” continues, as Thad Jean edged out former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson in a split decision in the main event of the PFL World Tournament semifinals event in Nashville.
As a result of his win, Jean will now meet former interim Bellator welterweight champion Logan Storley in the PFL welterweight World Tournament finals.
It was a back-and-forth encounter, with Jackson relying on his wrestling and clinch control. He landed multiple takedowns throughout the fight, pressing Jean against the fence. Jean, however, responded with some crisp striking, including a knockdown from a jab in the opening seconds of the fight.
Jean also made use of sharp counterstriking and did damage to the body in the later frames of the fight. While both men had their moments, it was Jean’s cleaner shots and timely reversals that most likely helped him earn the nod.
One judge each scored the bout 29-28 for a fighter, while the third had Jean winning all three rounds to seal the split decision in his favor.
Thad Jean Edges Out Jason Jackson To Earn Final Spot In Welterweight PFL World Tournament
I said robbery on a tweet originally but that was dumb. Was a close fight. I scored it for JJ. Biased though cuz I bet him. Fan of Thad Jean though
Storely gonna be in trouble in August.
— Jack Mac (@JackMacCFB) June 13, 2025
In no way, shape, or form did Thad Jean win that fight lol
— Hurricane_Johnson
(@BenTheBear69) June 13, 2025
THAD JEAN!!! https://t.co/HwZVZnkicj
— KP
Natty CHAMPS
(@kp87GN) June 13, 2025
Jean, an alumnus of the PFL Challenger Series from 2023, is now 10-0 in MMA, including a now 5-0 PFL record with three finishes in the PFL cage.
Jackson has now lost two of his last three. His April first-round win over Andrey Koreshkov had been a rebound after dropping his welterweight title last year to Ramazan Kuramagomedov.
