Thad Jean and Jason Jackson went to war Thursday night in the main event of PFL 5 in Nashville, Tennessee. When the dust settled, Jean emerged with a hard-fought split decision win over the former Bellator welterweight champion.
It was a gritty, back-and-forth affair. Jean dropped Jackson early in the first round and controlled key stretches of the fight. Jackson, showing the veteran poise that earned him wins over Douglas Lima and Yaroslav Amosov, mixed striking with takedowns and submission attempts to keep things competitive. In the end, the judges scored it 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27, giving Jean the nod and a spot in the welterweight tournament finals later this year.
In the co-main event of PFL 5, Jesus Pinedo delivered yet another highlight-reel knockout, stopping Gabriel Braga in their featherweight semifinal. It was their third meeting, with Pinedo having previously knocked out Braga in the 2023 featherweight championship. This time, he didn’t wait until the third round, putting Braga away in just 76 seconds.
Elsewhere on the card, Movlid Khaybulaev earned a unanimous decision over Tae Kyun Kim, securing his place in the 2025 featherweight finals. He’ll face Pinedo in a clash of former PFL champions.
Also making waves was Logan Storley, who turned in a vintage performance against Masayuki Kikuiri to punch his ticket to the finals. A former Bellator interim champion, Storley now has the chance to add another belt to his résumé.
The spotlight belonged to Jean and Jackson, whose bitter rivalry came to a violent head over three intense rounds. Their beef started in the build-up to the semi-final bout and turned deeply personal, with Jackson taking shots at Jean’s family and even questioning his Haitian heritage. The animosity between Jean and Jackson had reached a fever pitch by fight night.
Backed by hundreds of loud supporters from his “Silverback Nation,” Jean wasted no time setting the tone. He dropped Jackson in the opening minute, then chased a finish as the crowd roared. But Jackson responded with a well-timed takedown, slowing Jean’s momentum and forcing the fight into deeper waters.
Jackson relied on his experience to make it close. He imposed his grappling, snuck in some strikes, and showed grit as he survived Jean’s bursts of offense. Jean, however, stuffed several takedowns and answered with a few of his own, keeping Jackson guessing and edging ahead on the scorecards.
Midway through the third, the fight briefly paused after Jean landed a low blow, dropping Jackson. After a short recovery, they resumed with the same intensity, though neither man managed to land a decisive shot. When the final horn sounded, it was clear the decision could go either way.
The judges awarded Jean the win on two cards, including a controversial 30-27, advancing him to face Logan Storley in August’s welterweight final.
Jean and Jackson had previously competed on the same card in Orlando during the quarterfinals, and there didn’t seem to be any bad blood. But when the semis were announced, Jackson unleashed a barrage of personal insults, accusing Jean of being fake and questioning his roots. He even labeled Jean a hypocrite for privately showing support, then publicly favoring Andrey Koreshkov in their earlier bracket matchup.
Jean stayed composed throughout the feud. He embraced the opportunity to headline his first PFL event and didn’t let Jackson’s jabs knock him off course.
The heated feud between Jean and Jackson may have ended in the cage, but their fight will be remembered as one of the most emotionally charged moments of the PFL season.
Other fights on the PFL 5 card include:
Thad Jean def. Jason Jackson via split decision
Jesus Pinedo def. Gabriel Braga via TKO (punches)
Logan Storley def. Masayuki Kikuiri via unanimous decision
Movlid Khaybulaev def. Tae Kyun Kim via unanimous decision
Adam Borics def. Jeremy Kennedy via majority decision
Magomed Umalatov def. Anthony Ivy via round one KO (left hook)
Sarek Shields def. Joseph Luciano via unanimous decision
Kendly St. Louis def. Mukhamed Berkhamov via round three submission (rear-naked choke)
Alexei Pergande def. Mike Bardsley via unanimous decision
Jason Danner def. Nathan Gilmore via unanimous decision
