THE CANADIAN PRESS
Keith (The Dean of Mean) Jardine’s losses have caught up with him.
A source confirmed Friday that the UFC has cut the light-heavyweight in the wake of his majority decision loss to Matt (The Hammer) Hamill last Saturday at the Las Vegas finale of Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
The bloody loss was the fourth straight and fifth in six fights for Jardine, a graduate of Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Still Jardine exits the organization on a fight of the night performance, which earned he and Hamill an extra US$25,000 apiece. Jardine’s basic purse was $55,000.
Known for his unorthodox style, Jardine (14-9-1) experienced highs and lows in the Octagon where he was 6-7 in UFC fights.
Highlights include wins over Forrest Griffin at UFC 66 and Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell at UFC 76.
At the other end of the spectrum, there were quick knockouts at the hands of Houston (The Assassin) Alexander at UFC 71 and Wanderlei (The Axe Murderer) Silva at UFC 84.
Prior to Hamill, Jardine was beaten by Ryan (Darth) Bader and Thiago Silva. But he talked of a “rebirth” going into his most recent fight, saying he had figured how to make the most of his skills.
“I’m in a better place than I’ve ever been right now,” he told reporters before the bout.
Jardine started well but the fight turned in the second round after he had a point deducted for poking Hamill in the eye unintentionally. Hamill rallied in the third with Jardine bleeding badly from a slash over the nose and a cut below the left eye.
Jardine worked as a personal trainer, wildland firefighter, football coach, miner, and bounty hunter before becoming a pro MMA fighter.
He has also appeared in small parts in such movies as “Gamer,” “Crank: High Voltage,” “Unrivaled,” and “Death Warrior,” and had a cameo in TV’s “Breaking Bad.”
