Dustin Jacoby is normally fielding questions from UFC and MMA journalists, but not on this occasion. The likeable American, who’s facing Dominic Reyes at UFC Louisville – not far from PGA Championship host venue Valhalla – on Saturday June 8, is taking time out of his hectic pre-fight training schedule to indulge me in some golf chat.
Jacoby, who plays off a handicap of 6.4, has been obsessed with the game for a decade-plus and is proud to call himself the “UFC’s best golfer” – a title that’s self-proclaimed but rooted in truth. It’s not just a hobby, either – spending time on the fairways can help when it comes to stepping into the octagon.
“Golf definitely helps psychologically prepare me for fights,” Jacoby says. “It’s a very mental game, as is fighting, as is life in general. To be able to stay dialled in and the amount of focus golf requires is next level. If you’re not totally dialled in and 100% focussed on every shot, your game can go bad pretty quickly.
“It’s also about staying in the game and having that ‘down but never out’ mentality. When you’re fighting, you can take a big punch and get rocked a little bit, and you have to find that will to stay in it. Golf is the same. You have to stay in the fight for all 18 holes.
“So it definitely helps me in that respect and it’s also something I really look forward to. My round on a Wednesday is a highlight of the week – it helps me get through the training. I also play on weekends if I can and I sometimes squeeze another round in during the week too. It’s just something I thoroughly enjoy doing.
“Golf is my favourite pastime and I’m very passionate about it. I love the game. I also use it to try to relax, but sometimes I have to tell myself to just calm down and have fun because I’m super competitive!”
Jacoby was born in Fort Morgan in Colorado. Him and his twin brother, Darren, took up taekwondo and wrestling at a young age and during high school, Dustin was an accomplished basketball and American football player.
He received multiple Division 1 scholarship offers for both sports, but a serious knee injury in his senior year led to many being withdrawn.
Since then, he’s competed at boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts and he made his UFC debut in October 2011. He has a 19-8-1 record and has registered 12 wins by knockout.
When he’s not fighting or training, he’s golfing at Racoon Creek in Denver. As you might imagine, he’s capable of landing some lusty blows – he’s able to drive the ball well over 300 yards – but his focus has shifted in recent years.
“I used to really focus on distance and I was able to hit my 4-iron 240 yards before I broke my left arm in 2016, which made me lose some distance,” he says. “I still hit the ball pretty far, but over the last couple of years I’ve really tried to focus on my short game and putting.
“They don’t ask you how, they ask you how many. It doesn’t matter how far you hit the ball if you’re not getting it in the hole. I play with guys who drive the ball 180 yards straight down the middle and end up making par on half the holes. My main focus is dialling it in from 150 yards and in.”
So how did someone who makes a living fighting in the most physical sport you’ll find get hooked on another game that’s seemingly the polar opposite?
“My grandpa started playing when he was 48 and loved it. I went out with him a few times, but when I was younger, I didn’t take the game too seriously. I was just trying to hit it as far as I could. Then, in 2012 or 2013, I really fell in love with the sport and started really applying myself,” he says.
“Of course, golf is difficult and frustrating, but I’ve always been a natural athlete so the game came relatively easy to me. Pretty soon after picking it up, I was shooting in the mid 80s. I managed to break 80 for the first time a few years later – what a feeling that is – and I’ve also managed to shoot even-par once.
“I’ve had several 73s, 74s and 75s, but I’ve only managed to hit even par on one occasion (72). The course I did it on, I’d never ever broken 80 round there before. It’s a funny game. I’ve never shot under-par and during that round, I missed two crucial four-footers that could have put me under. That still haunts me to this day.
“Missing a four-footer to go under par is worse than getting kicked in the face! I’ve become so used to taking shots in the face – that’s what I do. I tell people I get punched in the head for a living so that’s my excuse for everything. Getting kicked in the face is my job – missing a four-footer to go under par will eat at you forever!"
While he might not boast the best record in the UFC – some 10 fighters have recorded 20 wins or more – he believes no one is a match for him on the golf course.
“More and more fighters are getting into golf and falling in love with the game, which is great. Covid brought a whole new spectrum of people into the game and in the UFC, guys like myself and Justin Gaethje are being more open about how much we play,” he says.
“I really wish the UFC would do an annual golf tournament with all the fighters. I’m the self-proclaimed best golfer in the UFC and in MMA – I guarantee it. I’d love to put that to the test.
“Hopefully, I get a big win against Reyes and then my next call out is going to be the American Century Championship. I want to play in that celebrity golf tournament up at Lake Tahoe and represent the UFC and MMA – I guarantee a top-ten finish!"
While there has been no official UFC golf day, Jacoby and Gaethje – the man Dustin believes is the second best player on the circuit – went head-to-head on the golf course last summer. As you might imagine, it was a competitive affair.
“We were getting ready for a round with a mutual friend and I went up to him and told him I was the best golfer in MMA. He looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘I tell you what, we’re going to find out’.” I could tell he was super serious. That day, we both brought our A-games. He shot a 79 and I came in with a 73.”
It’s natural to ponder what the future holds for Jacoby on the golf course given he’s closer to the end than the start of his fighting career. How good could he become if he dedicated all his time to improving?
“If I was able to play and practise all day, every day, I truly believe I could get to the next level because I’m so passionate about the game," he says.
“I’ve never had any lessons either, but if I had the proper time, I think I could get down to low single figures. It’s a goal of mine to continue to get better and continue loving the game.”
Jacoby has no plans to retire from the ring any time soon, but when he does, golf will be a huge part of what comes next. With more than a decade to prepare, could we see him on the Champions Tour one day? Given his drive, mindset and passion for the sport, you wouldn’t bet against it.
