LONDON – Jack Marshman walked away from UFC on ESPN+ 5 with a split-decision win over fellow Welshman John Phillips and probably with his gig as a UFC fighter secured.

But Marshman will have some explaining to do in his other, full-time job as a paratrooper.

“Legally, I’m contracted to the army,” Marshman told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at The O2. “They sort of told me I wasn’t fighting this weekend on Thursday. So I was, like, packing my bags, running way.”

As for how much trouble he might be in?

“We’ll find out on Monday, won’t we?” Marshman said with a laugh.

If it’s any consolation, Frank Dux did the same in “Bloodsport” and, though it involved some running from two government agents around the streets of Hong Kong, he did end up winning the Kumite. For his part, Marshman was ultimately able to snap out of a two-fight skid and score his first UFC win since July 2017.

Marshman (23-8 MMA, 3-3 UFC) had been clear about his plans going into the bout. He knew what Phillips (21-9 MMA, 0-3 UFC) – a notoriously heavy-handed, brawling striker – was looking to do, and he didn’t really have any interest in giving it to him. The more strategic approach, one that Marshman probably wouldn’t have taken a few years ago, led to an unpopular but ultimately victorious result.

On a less positive note, Marshman didn’t get paid in full for his efforts. On Friday, he missed the middleweight limit and had to forfeit 20 percent of his purse. Weight misses aren’t generally well received in MMA, but Marshman got some support from a perhaps unlikely source in headliner Darren Till, who publicly gave him respect for juggling his duties in the army and in the octagon.

The “amazing” display of respect by “such a nice guy” was received and appreciated by Marshman.

“It was good on him saying that, because not a lot of people know I’m a full-time paratrooper,” Marshman said. “This is my hobby. I’m fighting at the highest level possible in MMA, whilst being a full-time paratrooper. That’s my job, that’s my profession. I missed weight by two pounds; it happens. The best guys, who do it full time every day, miss weight. So I’m not going to cry about that.”

Marshman doesn’t quite know what happened with the weight cut, which was going just fine until Wednesday. He says he was in the sauna from 9 pm to 1 am on Thursday, and then from 6 am to weigh-in time on Friday, but the weight just refused to come off.

It happens, though, and “we learn from it.” In any case, Marshman will be able to dedicate himself full time to MMA shortly, as he is leaving the army in November.

“I was going to (leave) anyway. I’ve done my 12 years,” Marshman said. “I want to get off my pension so when I’m punch-drunk and in a wheelchair, I’ll have something to fall back on.”

Giving up on his army career only to find himself back fighting on the local circuit wouldn’t have been ideal, so getting a possibly job-saving win like Saturday’s “means the world to me.” For now, Marshman is depending on the army to figure out his steps, but as of November the idea is to stay as active in the octagon as he can.

How this will translate to the 29-year-old fighter’s performances remains to be seen. But, with the safety net of his pension secured and the flexibility to dedicate himself full time to his job among the world’s MMA elite, Marshman is happy to enjoy the best of both worlds.

“They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but I’m not even in my 30s yet,” Marshman said. “I’ve had more professional fights than I’ve had birthdays, so I’m learning every day.”

To hear from Marshman, watch the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 5, check out the UFC Events section of the site.