UFC 305: Jack Jenkins talks horse racing after coming back from horrific injury

Ahead of a fight at UFC 305 this weekend and some big races for his horse, Epimeles, Jack Jenkins has opened up on how his horse racing passion supported him through his injury comeback.

Jack Jenkins returns to the Octagon this weekend after suffering a sickening injury 11 months ago. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Jack Jenkins won’t get his wish of having his horse, Epimeles, on his fight shorts this weekend, but the knockabout lad from Bacchus Marsh isn’t too worried.

The featherweight fighter is just happy to be back in action at UFC 305 this weekend.

Only 11 months ago, Jenkins thought his career could have been over after just two UFC fights when he suffered a horrific dislocated elbow in a loss to Chepe Mariscal at UFC 293 in Sydney.

WATCH UFC 305: DU PLESSIS VS ADESANYA | SUN 18 AUG 12PM AEST | ORDER NOW ON MAIN EVENT AND KAYO SPORTS. MAIN EVENT AND KAYO SPORTS IS THE EXCLUSIVE HOME OF UFC PAY-PER-VIEW

After getting his technique wrong when attempting to defend a take-down in the second round, Jenkins felt excruciating pain and looked down at his busted elbow.

“I hit the deck and I could see my elbow hanging out the bottom, so I knew immediately how bad it was,” he tells this masthead. “And then it was just vicious pain.

Jenkins says he's never experienced pain like he did in his last fight. Picture: Getty Images

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt pain in a fight before – usually you feel it after a fight’s finished – but in that moment, it was vicious pain.”

He was given powerful painkillers as he was whisked away to hospital, but remembers the medicos being worried about an artery.

In typical Jenkins fashion, he laughs it off now though.

“They rushed me to hospital in an ambulance to get a scan to make sure the artery hadn’t snapped,” he remembers with a grin. “It was pretty serious and they were really worried about it at the time.

“But, nah, she was alright.”

Nicknamed Phar Jack as a tribute to Pharlap and his love of racing, Jenkins went through some dark times wondering whether he’d ever get back to the Octagon.

His lengthy stretch of rehab allowed him to dive even more deeply into racing.

Jenkins has a small stake in three horses, but says Epimeles is his star.

Epimeles wins the Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington in April. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

“He trains at Cranbourne and I talk to the trainer all the time – I probably annoy him to be honest,” the 31-year-olrd says. “He’s a serious professional athlete. They won’t bring him out of his box if it’s the wrong time of day, because he’s got his routine.”

Epimeles is running in the Group Three McNeil Stakes two weeks after Jenkins’ fight this weekend. Then it’s onto the million dollar Group One Gold Rose in Sydney before, hopefully, the Caulfield Guineas in October.

“He’s just a weapon,” Jenkins says.

Which is why he asked the UFC’s fight wear provider, Venum, if he could have the horse on his fight shorts this weekend.

“I don’t think they’ll give it to me, but I’d go off if they did,” he says. “Maybe after a couple of wins, a couple of big knockouts.

“You plant the seed now, and maybe it’ll happen later.”

Jenkins is one of Australia’s hottest prospects. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

And the perfect way to get the ball rolling is with a spectacular finish of Herbert Burns this weekend.

“Burns is a veteran and he’s got some good knockouts, but I think I’ll be too fast for him,” Jenkins says. “I think my striking is too good, I’ll be able to defend the take-downs and put him where I want the fight to go.”

And if he doesn’t get the stoppage, in true Pharlap style, Jenkins reckons he’ll do the distance pretty well.

“The longer it goes, the more it’ll be in my favour,” he says.

Originally published as UFC 305: Jack Jenkins talks horse racing after coming back from horrific injury