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Thad Jean went from a last-minute opponent change to a championship comeback. | : PFL MMA
When the phone rang during fight week, Thad Jean knew there had to be news on the other end. There was.
Ahead of his main event bout for the vacant Professional Fighters League welterweight title last week, Jean learned that Shamil Musaev had withdrawn from PFL Washington D.C. and Ernesto Rodriguez would step in as his opponent.
Thad Jean says Ernesto Rodriguez fight changed his mindset after PFL title win
Adversity struck in the second round when Jean was dropped by Rodriguez. However, he rallied in the third, earning a stoppage victory to claim the vacant welterweight crown. Days after the win, Jean talked with Sherdog.com about overcoming adversity, the lessons he learned and what he has planned for the future now that he's champion.
“I have the welterweight championship belt, but not without adversity. That’s what I needed, truly, I needed that. The reason why I say I needed that is because I went into this fight preparing for Shamil Musaev, we all know that would’ve been more of a dog-on-dog fight, on paper, on just everything. If you look at Shamil then look at Ernesto, they’re not the same. So that took me into the mindset of ‘this is going to be an easy one, they’re just handing me the belt.’”
Jean said that after his initial reaction to the opponent change, he had to talk himself out of becoming overconfident. The reality, however, set in when he was dropped in the second round.
“I literally was telling myself and God that I’m not going to feel that good if I get the belt. But at the same time, I was telling myself, ‘Bro shut the heck up, what are you talking about? Who do you think you are?’ There were two competing voices in my head, and I needed the voice telling me I was too good to get shut up, he did that for me that night. He shut that voice up, and he made me realize everybody at this stage is a dog, everybody is gunning for my head, and I appreciate that.”
An elite middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune in on Friday, Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
A fighter who is outspoken about his faith, Jean said it was his belief in God that helped him recover after being knocked down.
“When I hit the mat, I’m limp because he knocked me, I went limp and I said ‘Oh God, are you really going to humble me right now? Am I really going to lose?’ So those were my thoughts in that moment. I was talking all big and bad, I was discounting this dude [Rodriguez] as if he didn’t work hard to get to this point as well. Then I swear, my Holy Spirit was like ‘No, you’re good, we’re glad you came to understand that. Let’s get back into this fight.’ All this happened in a split second of me hitting the ground. I knew I wasn’t going to lose because if I did, I died. You’re going to have to kill me to take me out, and I’m grateful for that because people see that even on my worst day, I’m still a champion.”
In the immediate aftermath of his victory, attention quickly turned to a potential showdown with Musaev, with Jean acknowledging that it is the fight he needs to cement himself as the undisputed champion.
“I want him to be next, I think he will be next, and I think John Martin wants him to be next. I personally do want the fight with Shamil Musaev, that’s the fight I got ready for, that’s the fight I wanted. I want to fight him because once I beat Shamil, you can’t really say nothing else, and if you do say something else, you’re just a hater. I’m just going to leave it at that. You’re a hater regardless at this point if you say something, so it doesn’t really matter.”
Looking beyond Musaev, Jean pointed to rising European contenders Patrick Habirora and Cedric Doumbe. He said he wants to live up to his “Silverback” nickname by going into enemy territory and defeating his opponents on their home soil.
“I simply want their territory, it’s a kingdom thing, I just want their kingdom and their people. That’s all it is. I know that I can take what’s theirs and I know that the best way to take what’s theirs is to go to their land and dominate on their soil. That’s exactly what I want to do, exactly what I’m going to do. But, ahead of me first will likely be Shamil, once I get past Shamil, they’re on the radar, after that, it’s God’s plan. The reason why I want them is not because of their skillset, but more of their popularity.”
Jean also expressed his commitment to representing the PFL as its welterweight champion and said he welcomes the opportunity to prove doubters wrong, including those who believe success in mixed martial arts can only come in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. While the title fight proved far more difficult than he anticipated, Jean believes the adversity made the victory -- and the lessons that came with it -- all the more meaningful.
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