Joe Riggs (Pictures) vs. Eugene Jackson (Pictures)

Comeback stories in modern sports are a dime a dozen. Countless athletes work their way back to the sports they love, but the true rarity is a successful comeback story -- like Rick Ankiel but without the lifetime supply of HGH.

MMA's latest comeback story is Joe "Diesel" Riggs, who became addicted to painkillers after developing a chronic back injury. Having escaped the clutches of an addiction known for claiming the lives of athletes, taking on Eugene Jackson (Pictures) must seem like a welcome respite for the Phoenix, Ariz., native.

For all his personal troubles, Riggs (26-9, 1 NC) has always known how to put on a show come fight time. Endearing himself to fans with an all-out brawling style, Riggs worked his way through the local Arizona MMA scene and eventually found himself in the UFC.

Starting out as a middleweight, Riggs found mixed success before moving down to the welterweight division. The drop in weight proved to be a dicey proposition for Riggs as he managed impressive wins over Chris Lytle (Pictures) and Nick Diaz (Pictures) but failed to make 170 pounds for his title match against then UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (Pictures).

Looking like a man who would sell his soul for a sandwich, Riggs was completely outclassed by Hughes and eventually became something of a divisional nomad, jumping between the middleweight and welterweight divisions. Now firmly entrenched as a 185-pound fighter, Riggs begins the uphill battle of returning to the heights he once enjoyed.

For Jackson (15-7-1) the challenge is proving that he can exceed his past accomplishments before Father Time catches up to him. Having recently turned 41 and spent nine years in professional MMA, Jackson has been riding high since signing with Strikeforce thanks to a 3-0 start after a nearly three year hiatus from MMA.

That time away from MMA's constant grind appears to have been time well spent for Jackson who had lost five of his last six fights prior to his current winning streak. Whether or not his success can be attributed to mediocre competition or a stroll through the Elysian Fields is a question that will be answered by Jackson's ability to handle his 25-year-old opponent.

Like anyone who faces Riggs, Jackson's obvious inclination will be to put Riggs on his back where his atomic fists are of little use. The problem with that approach is that many have tried it and Riggs has become accustomed to defending it.

While Jackson could potentially pose some problems for Riggs on the ground, his wrestling isn't up to the task of actually getting Riggs to the ground.

We've seen Riggs betray his banger's mentality on more than one occasion but Jackson presents no threat to him on the feet so expect Riggs to come out engaging on the feet from the opening bell.

Jackson will be hard pressed to find an answer for Riggs' onslaught so look for Jackson to get a rude introduction to the canvas midway through the first round. As for Rick Ankiel, I hear he's a few HGH shipments away from taking on the role of Sloth in a Goonies remake.