EXCLUSIVE | Jason Knight eyeing several top promotions after getting released by the UFC

Jason Knight is looking for a new home. The fan favorite told BJPENN.com yesterday that the UFC has released him from his contract.

Even though Knight was released by the UFC, he did have some success inside the Octagon. Although he went 4-5 in his nine fights, he did have a four-fight winning streak, including wins over Dan Hooker and Alex Caceres. Those wins got him into the rankings and because of that, Knight doubts he will be a free agent for long.

“I’m pretty confident. I got to number 15 in the world in the UFC and to go back to watch my last fight nobody wanted me to lose that fight,” Knight said to BJPENN.com. “The whole crowd wanted me to win, not Jordan Rinaldi. I have had a rough go this past year. and, I’m going through a process of a divorce. I just had a lot of sh*t going on and it is adding up to making some mistakes and doing some stupid things and not getting results in the fight.

“I’m in the process of getting everything worked out and slowly but surely I will make my back. I think RIZIN, Bellator or ONE Championship it would be good to get in there. Worst comes to worst, I fight one or two fights or on a local show and go back to the UFC. I’m not going to stick around on a local scene if it doesn’t get me back into the UFC quickly.”

Although Knight was crushed to hear the news that he has been released from the UFC, he is also using this situation as motivation. He knows he has to get better and improve on his game to make it back to the UFC, and that is the ultimate goal.

“I’m 26-years-old, I’ve got 36 fights under my belt. I went 10-0 as an amateur and 20-6 as a pro. I had nine UFC fights and I’m 26-years-old,” he said. “There are guys who didn’t start training until my age. I’m not out of my prime and I still have plenty of time to get this done so I’m not really stressed about it. The UFC they are not looking for a 35-year-old who is on the way out. They are looking for a 25, 26-year-old, who still has 10 years left. They already know I can go in there and get the job done. You can look at my last few fights and tell some sh*t was different. I just had to get back to where I was.”

In the end, Knight is willing to go fight anywhere, but he believes Bellator, One Championship, and RIZIN make the most sense for him. He believes he doesn’t have to go back to the regional scenes at all.

“I’m staying in top promotions,” he said. “I didn’t make it to the UFC to go back and fight on my local shows. If I had to go back to fighting at a casino down here I would just stick with my gym.”

Knight opened up his own gym about a week and a half ago and it is already a huge success. That is taking a lot of his time and focus right now. But, he knows when the times comes he will be ready to fight again. For now, the focus is on the gym and helping change the lives of any kid who walks through the doors of Jason Knight MMA.

“I just got kicked out of the UFC,” Knight said. “Even if I can’t find my way back there, I’m going to fight my ass off. I’m never going to stop until one day I’m a legend. If I don’t find my way back to the UFC, I’m doing what I love anyway. If it stays like this and I can change a couple of kids lives I will be happy.”

There is no doubt in Knight’s mind that the future is still bright. This is only a minor setback in his career. The next time he fights, he promises he will be a brand new fighter.

“I’m going to go work on the things I need to work on and make sure the next time I get into the cage I’m the full fighter I am supposed to be,” he concluded.

Where do you think Jason Knight should fight next?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/11/2019.