Gallery Mike Jackson def. CM Punk at UFC 225: Best photos view 18 images

When Mike Jackson talked to MMAjunkie Radio three months ago, he was still being put on “timeout” by UFC president Dana White.

It appears that is no longer the case, though.

Jackson’s (1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) future with the UFC had looked uncertain since a UFC 225 encounter with former WWE star Phil “CM Punk” Brooks. Although Jackson was a clear, dominant winner then, the UFC boss made it crystal clear that he wasn’t at all happy with how Jackson conducted himself against a clearly overmatched foe and went so far as to say the fighter was done in the UFC.

Earlier this month, though, Jackson told MMAjunkie Radio that not only is he still an active UFC welterweight and still getting tested by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, but he’s actually received an offer.

“Not to go too involved, I don’t know what they’ve talked about, but I was contacted about a fight,” Jackson said. “When I saw the fight, I was like, ‘This is solid matchmaking.’ It wasn’t where they’re trying to – being who I am in the position, you would think they’re just going to give me some killer, just to get me out of there. But it was none of that. It was a quality matchup, quality opponent. And I wasn’t going to take it lightly or anything like that.”

Jackson, however, was dealing with some minor injuries that had flared up and, while he knows fighters are never 100 percent healthy when they go into the cage, he wants to make sure he’s at optimal condition if he’s going to compete against “killers” in the highest level.

When he is ready to return to the cage, though, it seems Jackson does have a handful of suitors from different parts of the globe.

“I’m pretty big in Canada; I had a lot of guys reach out, ‘Man, you suck, I want to fight you,’” Jackson said. “Like, a lot of them. And then I had one guy, he was so bold, he contacted a promoter, to contact me – to set up a fight. And I’m like, ‘Dude, what part of ‘We can’t fight’ don’t you comprehend?’

“I’ve got Aaaron Chalmers, the British ‘Jersey Shore’ guy. Now, I like what he’s doing. See, he’s funny. I like him. I like his approach. But he even had his manager – actually, this is my response to your e-mail, Aaron Chalmers’ manager: Don’t email me anymore. Thank you.”

A pretty obvious obstacle to that happening is the fact that the unbeaten Chalmers, who just solved some issues with his previous promotion, BAMMA, is currently competing for Bellator and doesn’t really seem to be headed toward the UFC for the time being.

But it’s hard to miss the pattern there. Jackson was, himself, a bit of a novelty, as a rare MMA-media-turned-fighter story. Punk, of course, is a pro-wrestler whose UFC venture was received with heavy – and, we’d find out, justified – skepticism. And while that didn’t materialize, it’s interesting that Chalmers, whose main claim to fame was a stint in the reality show “Geordie Shore,” chose him of all people.

So, while we’re talking novelty matchmaking here, how about YouTube star Logan Paul, who sent the MMA community into a bit of a frenzy just by throwing out the UFC acronym in a tweet?

“This guy, he doesn’t want it,” Jackson said. “Dana saved him. I think Dana saw what I did to CM Punk and he was like – whatever quote he said, whatever the headline was, where he said he would die or something like that, in the cage, I agree 100 percent. He’s not ready for this. I mean, Phil wasn’t ready for this. I want to say he would have a better chance in this sport, but it’s just not meant to be for him.”

It may seem a little harsh, but at least you can trust “The Truth” to keep it real when assessing everyone’s standings in the UFC – including his own.

“Do I feel that I can compete with anyone, everyone in the UFC? Not by any means,” Jackson said. “I have friends at higher levels in the UFC. But do I feel that I can fair fairly well with maybe some of the lower-level talent? Maybe people who are coming off the Contender Series, or even newly-signed in the UFC? I do.”

As for the relationship with White, who went so far as to call him “a complete (expletive) idiot” in the aftermath of UFC 225? Jackson says he appreciates the support of those who have come to him to express dissatisfaction with the UFC president’s words. But Jackson, himself, is not dwelling on the past.

“I know Dana is an emotional cat,” Jackson said. “He was in his feelings. And I think right now he has so much going on, he’s not even worried about it anymore. He’ll see me, he’ll probably give me a little smile and keep on pushing.”

For more on the UFC schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.