PFL 2025 World Tournament One to Watch: Jason Jackson

The Professional Fighters League will turn the page to the PFL 2025 World Tournament: First Round 1 this Thursday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and it begins with fascinating single-elimination matchups in the 145- and 170-pound weight classes.

An eight-man welterweight bracket features plenty of talent, from top to bottom. Jason Jackson takes the headlining spot opposite fellow former Bellator MMA champion Andrey Koreshkov. Ex-interim Bellator titleholder Logan Storley has also been booked, along with 2024 PFL finalist Magomed Umalatov. They all shine the spotlight on the depth and talent in the welterweight competition, but Jackson could be the man to beat at 170 pounds. Plenty of obstacles stand in his way.

It starts with Koreshkov. The longtime Alexander Shlemenko protégé figures to provide Jackson with one of the most difficult quarterfinal challenges in any bracket regardless of weight class. Koreshkov has more experience than “The Ass-Kicking Machine,” with 33 professional fights under his belt. The Russian has secured 14 of his 28 career victories by knockout or technical knockout, his resume highlighted by finishes of Chidi Njokuani, Nah-Shon Burrell, Leandro Silva, Chance Rencountre and Marius Zaromskis.

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

After losing his Bellator welterweight title to Ramazan Kuramagomedov in June, Jackson sets out on his path to redemption. The 34-year-old Kill Cliff Fight Club rep has shown he can dig deep when the odds are stacked against him, most notably in a November 2023 knockout of the previously unbeaten Yaroslav Amosov. Jackson would like nothing more than to defy the critics and run the table in the PFL tournament. Known for his relentless pace and toughness, he should be tested in a major way right out of the gate. A win over Koreshkov would establish Jackson as one of the clear tournament favorites.

A showdown with the Storley-Umalatov winner—they square off in another quarterfinal—may await Jackson in the welterweight final later this year. Thad Jean-Mukhamed Berkhamov and Giannis Bachar-Masayuki Kikuiri fill out the rest of the 170-pound bracket, but Jackson, Koreshkov, Storley and Umalatov are viewed as the frontrunners.

Jackson has already labeled himself as a man on a mission, not only to win the $500,000 and the tournament championship but to redeem himself following the aforementioned loss to Kuramagomedov. His clash with Koreshkov represents the first step in the journey, making Jackson the one to watch in the welterweight draw.