The welterweight bracket of the PFL World Tournament exploded with drama as Thad Jean narrowly edged out former Bellator kingpin Jason Jackson in a split decision that left the Nashville crowd divided and buzzing.
There was no shortage of heat coming into this semifinal. A personal feud between Jackson and Jean boiled over in the weeks before the fight, with pointed remarks and even attacks on family and heritage. Jackson, who holds notable wins over names like Douglas Lima and Yaroslav Amosov, entered as the favorite—but Jean’s Silverback Nation had other plans.
Right from the opening horn, Jean brought the pressure, dropping Jackson early and nearly finishing the fight within the first minute. But Jackson leaned on experience, scoring a timely takedown to slow things down and regain control. The pace shifted back and forth, with each fighter having strong moments across all three rounds.
In the final frame, a low blow temporarily halted action, but neither man let it disrupt their rhythm. Despite Jackson’s cage savvy, Jean’s energy and sharp counters stood out just enough for the judges—earning him the nod on two of the three scorecards.
Controversy followed the decision, especially with one judge seeing it 30-27 for Jean, but the victory stands. Thad Jean now advances to face Logan Storley in the finals this August, while Jackson is left wondering what went wrong after months of verbal warfare.
From pre-fight trash talk to a dramatic final bell, this showdown was one of the most emotionally charged fights in recent PFL history—and it might just launch Jean into stardom.
