But he’s continued to keep things exciting, even after his two-and-out in the UFC. Perhaps Jenkins (16-11) hasn’t been the poster boy, but he’s a hot commodity among promotions. He’s proven he’s reliable, game, and exciting, dating all the way back to his amateur debut in 2010.
That’s perhaps why Most Valuable Promotions enlisted his services for its first MMA fight in promotion history. Jenkins will kick off Saturday’s event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (Netflix), when he fights Chris Avila (8-9).
As much as some things have changed, many have stayed the same.
“I’m all about experiences,” Jenkins recently told MMA Junkie. “I was a small-town kid. When I grew up fighting, I was such a trailer park kid that I would book my own fights. I’d book them really far away, and I would call someone like Dean Toole for island fights, and say, ‘Hey, can I come and fight on the card with the Hilton on the beach?’ So he’d put me up on the beach, and I’m like laying on the beach, getting some sun, and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I got to get in a fistfight later.’ But it was like a vacation to me, so anytime I get to fly somewhere nice and fight and experience new things, it always fires me up.”
Jenkins, 34, has a resume that contains appearances in the UFC, PFL, Karate Combat, and Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, in addition to a whole host of regional promotions.
Had turmoil not begun to bubble in the Middle East, Jenkins revealed Misfits would’ve been next for him, as a bout vs. Dillon Danis was on the table from Misfits. Jenkins accepted and began working with the Tackett brothers, two BJJ phenoms, and found ways to level up his game, even after all these years. However, the bout was slated for Qatar and was nixed due to the region’s unrest. That’s when Netflix came along. It was good timing.
“(My management) Iridium Sports Agency was like, ‘Hey, go to your email and sign this contract,” Jenkins laughed. “I was like, ‘What is it?’ They’re like, ‘It’s Netflix.’ I was like, Holy sh*t, OK I’ll do it.”
Though he’s been inactive in 2026, Jenkins’ competitive battery was fully recharged by the opportunities pitched his way. In December, he began to shift more fully into a coaching role at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas.
The fun, outside-the-box fight offers reminded him of the advice his coach John Wood bestowed upon him. Jenkins will never retire.
“He swears he’s not retired,” Jenkins said. “He’s like 45 or 46. I was like, ‘What do you mean, dude?’ He’s like, ‘I’m never retired. I’d still fight. It just has to be perfect. There would be no training camp. I would literally have to be somewhere, and there’d be no commission and like, ‘Hey, you fight this guy.’ I’ll do it in a heartbeat. I’m not f*cking retired. Never say you’re retired. You never know when something special is going to come across your desk. You’ve got to be able to take it.’
“So I’m never gonna say the R-word. I’m gonna keep it open you know, but the days of chasing stuff that like I’ve already (done are over). I’m gonna try to be like more like Davey Grant. He’s my favorite fighter and I just want to leave a legacy of bangers.”