SAN JOSE, Calif. – A visit to Instagram turned out to be the catalyst for Quinton Jackson’s new optimism about his fighting career.

The social media site was where Jackson (37-13 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) re-discovered the altitude tents he’d used as an up-and-comer in PRIDE. After adding them to his fight preparation for Chael Sonnen, he was hooked again.

“I started doing it, and sure enough, in my last fight with Chael, no matter what happened, I didn’t get tired,” Jackson told MMAjunkie in advance of his DAZN-streamed fight with Wanderlei Silva (35-13-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) at Bellator 206. “That’s one of my biggest fears is getting tired.”

At 40, that fear is greater than ever. Jackson calls himself “the best at starting over,” but realizes he could wind up never starting up again if he stops training.

“When I hang up my gloves, it will probably be in training camp for a fight,” he said. “I’ll probably book a fight, be training for a fight, and I can’t go to the gym one day. I’ll be like, yeah I’m done.”

But that day hasn’t come just yet. Jackson professes he feels as could as he can be prior to a fight. He envisions a move to boxing once his contract with Bellator is complete.

“I want to have at least one,” he said. “I’m not saying I’ll retire after one. But if I have one and feel good, then I’m going to do another. And I’m going to keep going until I can’t, because I’m scared of how much I’ll miss it when I can’t do it any more.”

It’s very possible that his opponent, longtime rival Silva, has reached that point. The former PRIDE champ, who is 2-1 against Jackson, has said Saturday’s fight could be his last.

If Jackson has anything to do with it, that decision will be finalized with their fourth fight.

“I’ve trained really hard this camp,” he said. “I plan on destroying Wanderlei, so I’m not surprised he’s going to want to retire. Last time I beat him, he left the weight class. He’s got nowhere to go this time.”

For more on Bellator 206, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.