'Hard-Nosed' DJ Jackson Sizes Up KASAI Pro 2 185lb Opposition

Calling the field “super stacked,” DJ Jackson predicts this weekend's 185lb black belt tournament at KASAI Pro 2 is going to be an “epic” event.

The eight-man lineup features a mix of tricky submission specialists and tough grapplers, with Jackson firmly falling into the latter description. He knows he’s one of the “hard-nosed” crew and is looking forward to mixing it up with his fellow competitors this Saturday in Brooklyn, NY. 

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Date: Saturday, April 14 | Time: 6 PM EDT

“I always got to be ready to go head-to-head in a real hard wrestling match with the way the tournament is set up," Jackson told FloGrappling. "A lot of guys—more than people expect—will try to wrestle with me. I’m excited to put on a show and a real wrestling clinic.” 

With his “attack, attack, attack, attack” style, Jackson knows that his wrestling is a key factor to winning but also understands he must not neglect the submission game—otherwise, he could miss out on the finals. The eight athletes will be split into two groups of four and will compete in a round robin. 

“The way the points work, you got to sub too," he added. "I won every match in Copa Podio and almost didn’t make it to the semifinals.” 

A victory by points is worth two points, but a submission is worth three. Only the top two finishers in each group will advance through to the final rounds. 

Jackson gave his thoughts on facing the likes of Craig Jones (“Just attack, don’t let him get his game going”) and Mike Perez (“When he was a blue belt, I used to beat him up”).

Preparing for the tournament at Team Lloyd Irvin in Camp Springs, Maryland, Jackson has been training with the likes of Mahamed Aly, Tim Spriggs, Shane Jamil-Hill Taylor, and more. 

Certainly considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, Jackson isn’t sleeping on the rest of the pack and knows there are some dark horses who could spoil things. 

“Any time I see a name I don’t recognize, you can’t fight a guy and not know he’s a wrestler," he said. "…I’m waiting for him to pull guard and he starts clubbing my head!” 

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