Dustin Jacoby wants big name after UFC on ESPN 68 KO: 'I'm no stepping stone'

LAS VEGAS — A big name: That's what Dustin Jacoby wants for his next trip to the octagon.

The 37-year-old UFC light heavyweight veteran thinks he's deserving of such opportunity following his latest win. Jacoby (21-9-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) defeated Bruno Lopes (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on the main card of UFC on ESPN 68 this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was his second finish of a Brazilian prospect since his last defeat – a KO loss to former UFC title challenger Dominick Reyes in June 2024.

"I'm no stepping stone," Jacoby told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 68 post-fight press conference. "I got into the top 15, and I earned my way to the top 15, and I held it for a little bit. But I had a lot of wind taken out of my sails when I had that decision loss to Khalil Rountree.

"I'll say it again, and I've said it before: It's no knock on Khalil Roundtree. The guy is a great warrior and a great fighter, but that says a lot about me. If you go back and look at that fight, after the fight was fought, I was like -650 on DraftKings to win that fight and I was declared the loser. That one stung. It took a lot of momentum (away from me)."

Prior to Saturday's win, Jacoby had put away Vitor Petrino in brutal fashion this past December in front of 18,000 fans at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. He didn't expect to be fighting at the UFC Apex following that win, but saw it as an opportunity to make a statement and have a standout performance.

"I felt like I got demoted after a big knockout in a packed house, but at the same time, perspective is everything, man," Jacoby said. "I've had a lot of success here at the UFC Apex. On this card, I thought it was a great opportunity to go out there and steal the show, and that's exactly what I told myself in the back: 'This is your show. This is your time. Go steal it.' I felt like the Apex needed a fighter like me and a fight like that – excitement. I was prepared to bring it."

Despite the finish, Jacoby missed out on one of the four post-fight bonus awards.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Jacoby wants big name after UFC on ESPN 68 KO