Quinton Jackson was uninspiring but nevertheless triumphant in his return to the Bellator MMA cage.
A punishing clinch and big-fight savvy carried Jackson to a split decision over 2008 Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii in the Bellator 157 “Dynamite 2” headliner on Friday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Judges’ scores were 29-28 (Sal D’Amato) and 30-27 (Robin Veale) for Jackson and 29-28 (Ross Swanberg) for Ishii.
In his first appearance in more than a year, Jackson had issues staying upright, especially early in the fight. Ishii (14-6-1) effectively closed the distance on the former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder, executing a pair of first-round takedowns from the clinch.