Thad Jean has big plans for his PFL future, and the next step is his toughest test to date.
Jean faces former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson in the main event of PFL Nashville on Thursday. The bout serves as a semifinal matchup in the division’s World Tournament, with the winner advancing to the finals for a shot at $500,000 and a top contender spot.
“The Silverback” began the grand prix-style tournament as an alternate, but made an immediate impact when his services were called upon, knocking out Mukhamed Berkhamov in the first round. Not only does he plan to keep the train going, Jean believes a win over Jackson puts him on a track to join the likes of Dakota Ditcheva and Paul Hughes as faces of the PFL.
“We’re the future of our company, man, no doubt,” Jean told MMA Fighting. “[Me] and Paul Hughes and Dakota, they started where? In the European scene, right? Over there in England, and they are amazing. Look what they’ve done. Look what they’ve done for the PFL Europe scene. And then Dakota Ditcheva came down here and did a showstopper here as well. She didn’t just do it over there, it wasn’t just all talk. She came here and she put these girls out… she put a stop to every opponent and that’s amazing. And I want it to be the same thing with Thad Jean.”
Jean is undefeated as a pro, and 5-0 in the PFL cage. The 26-year-old began his PFL run as part of the promotion’s Challenger Series, and parlayed that into becoming one of the most exciting prospects in the company.
With a win over Jackson, Jean understands what could be awaiting him in the aftermath — although he already believes he’s one of the best welterweights in the world heading in.
“That I’m top 15 in the world — and it will go my way, and that I am top-15 in the world,” Jean explained. “I think I’m top 5 in the world. That’s where my mindset is. I just haven’t had the opportunity to show it yet. That’s the thing, this is my opportunity to show it. People don’t know it and people will see it as, ‘Oh, this guy is arrogantly talking. Oh, [he’s not] putting in the work.’ I’m doing everything that I have to do. I am the one who’s constantly going through the battles within the training grounds. You just haven’t seen me.
“You can’t say I’m ignorant. You haven’t seen nothing. Your notion to even be able to say that I’m arrogant is arrogance cause you don’t know me. I will, this me, beatng Jason Jackson will put me at top 10, right? Everybody he beat I beat. So I’m going to take that, and then whoever else I have to beat to be No. 1, that’s where I’m gonna be. Can’t be the tail, I need to be the head, and I need to beat everybody in front of me and Jason Jackson is another guy in front of me that I have to beat. All credit to him, and I appreciate him.
“Let’s be honest, because it’s against Jason Jackson, this is the main event. Jason Jackson, a veteran, a seasoned veteran against the up-and-coming star Thad ‘The Silverback’ Jean. What will happen as these two titans clash? Thad is coming out on top. And then Thad is going to take that baton, pass down those flowers, and continue to skyrocket this to the ceiling, to the skies where there is no limit. That’s what it’s going to be.”
It’s no easy test going against Jackson, who won his opening round fight but with a second-round submission over fellow former Bellator champ Andrey Koreshkov in April. Jackson is 9-1 over his past 10 bouts, with the lone loss coming after he dropped the Bellator title to Ramazan Kuramagomedov at a Bellator Champions Series event in June 2024.
Jean understands the task at hand, but also sees the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
“Thad Jean is the face of the PFL company and that’s going to be what it is,” Jean said. “At the end of this year, before it even comes to this time again next year, I will become the face of this company. I wouldn’t even say [this time] next year: I’m going to say December of this year, Thad Jean will become the face of the PFL, and I mean that completely and wholeheartedly.
“People will see that Thad Jean, he has the it factor, and people want to watch that it factor. Either they will want to watch that it factor lose or they want to watch me win. Both ways is good. Views are always fantastic either way, it doesn’t matter to me. Just come watch.”
