Jardine was born in Butte, Montana, moved to Oregon, and finally settled in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Canoga Park High School. Jardine played football and competed in Greco-Roman wrestling in high school under Coach Rudy Lugo, and continued to compete at Los Angeles Pierce College, then for his final two years of college as a defensive lineman at New Mexico Highlands University, which has a Division II program. He received a degree in Human Performance and Sport from New Mexico Highlands University. Before focusing on a career in mixed martial arts, Jardine worked as a personal trainer, firefighter, football coach, miner, and bounty hunter. He also played rugby and competed in high-level wrestling tournaments after college before traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he began training for MMA with Greg Jackson.
In 2014 Jardine featured on a social media video that went viral where he proceeded to track down a thief and make a citizen's arrest.
Jardine made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2001, defeating Amir Rahnavardi via armbar submission. He would win five out of his next six bouts, suffering one knockout loss to Travis Wiuff six seconds into the fight, before debuting in the Japanese Pancrase organization in 2003. Jardine's bout in Pancrase, with Keiichiro Yamamiya, ended in a draw. Jardine defeated his next two opponents, including a submission win over Red Devil Sport Club fighter Arman Gambaryan, before appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 2.
In 2005, Jardine was cast on The Ultimate Fighter 2, a team-based reality television show created by the UFC, as a Heavyweight competitor. He was the first Heavyweight to be chosen by team coach and then UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin. Although considered a favorite to proceed to the Heavyweight division's finals, Jardine was not selected to fight until the semi-finals, where he was defeated by eventual Heavyweight winner and his future sparring partner, Rashad Evans.

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