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If Mike Jackson’s days with the UFC are numbered, he might already have lined up another fight with an opponent who has a huge social media following.
Jackson defeated former professional wrestler CM Punk by unanimous decision at UFC 225, a lopsided win that drew the ire of company president Dana White who wasn’t pleased with Jackson’s showboating and inability to put Punk away. In all likelihood, Jackson, a journalist in addition to being a pro fighter, has competed for the last time inside the Octagon, but he has now found himself in a budding feud with British reality TV star Aaron Chalmers.
Known as a cast member of Geordie Shore (the British equivalent of MTV’s Jersey Shore), Chalmers has since transitioned into full-time MMA training and gone on to win his first four pro bouts by first-round finish. In his debut with Bellator this past May, he put Ash Griffiths to sleep with a guillotine choke in under two minutes.
Chalmers, who has 2.5 million Instagram followers, tweeted that his team has asked for Jackson as a possible opponent, which led to a back-and-forth between the two:
We have asked for the Jackson fight there is a guy who is 5-1 in bellator who we have also asked for next, so let’s see https://t.co/gezGYtfqAX
— Aaron Chalmers (@AaronCGShore) June 16, 2018
If you want it @TheTruthJackson then let’s have it, tagged #GetTheBag
— Aaron Chalmers (@AaronCGShore) June 16, 2018
CC @ScottCoker @rtemike @rich_chou
1) what is it that I want?
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) June 16, 2018
2) who are you? https://t.co/orPhATWTkx
You messaged me first you muppet https://t.co/ayWxvYpQ7Q
— Aaron Chalmers (@AaronCGShore) June 16, 2018
Oh, so that's what we're doing? Did you not mention my name first? "We have asked for the Jackson fight..." And "muppet"? Is that supposed to offend me? https://t.co/2I0aCKhiPx
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) June 16, 2018
I said I’ve asked for the fight you tweeted me so I replied let’s do it? I thought you had some intelligence to put 2 tweets together https://t.co/ZPm9rmyeMe
— Aaron Chalmers (@AaronCGShore) June 16, 2018
When Michael Jackson pretends to want it.. but then changes his mind pic.twitter.com/3AJFaLlbqL
— Aaron Chalmers (@AaronCGShore) June 16, 2018
Now, I have the British wankas coming at me... pic.twitter.com/FyWAcDpIJF
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) June 16, 2018
If Jackson truly is a free agent (there has been no official word from the UFC on his status beyond White’s statements), then there’s nothing barring him from being scooped up by Bellator and booked against Chalmers, so this is one MMA Twitter spat that could actually develop into a potential fight.