LOS ANGELES – Charles Jourdain is unsurprisingly confident ahead of UFC 331. But don't confuse the confidence for cockiness. He sees a real threat, even if the public narrative is slowly shifting to say otherwise about opponent Marlon Vera.
"You cannot be in the UFC and treat a former world title challenger as a guy who's going down," Jourdain told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's media day. "I don't think it's possible. He didn't get knocked out, didn't get finished in all those fights. Some of those were razor-thin close. Some of them, I thought he won, as well. 'Chito' is dangerous even though he's 33 and on a four-fight losing streak. It would be very stupid for me to think it's a walk in the park."
Vera (23-12-1 MMA, 15-11 UFC)
is only 33, but is a former UFC title challenger and perennial staple of the upper-echelon on the UFC bantamweight division. He's hit hard times in recent outings, however, and enters Saturday's main card (Paramount+) at Crypto.com Arena on a four-fight skid. Jourdain (18-8-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) thinks it won't be easy, but expects to get him out inside the distance.
"He's the type of fighter who doesn't have 15 minutes to win. He has 15 minutes to finish you," Jourdain said. "This is something I respect in the division because when you have some fighters in the top-15, some of them know how to win. Him, he knows how to finish you before the bell. I highly respect 'Chito' and this why when Mr. (Sean) Shelby said, 'You're fighting "Chito" Vera,' I was like, 'OK, here we go.'"
Jourdain, 30, recognizes a finish may not come. It's quite possible Vera may go "zombie mode," as he's established himself as one of the division's most durable combatants. Having competed so much up a weight class at featherweight, Jourdain is used to bigger, stronger opponents and can trade harder shots. He thinks the past battles have prepared him for the future ones.
"I think my preparation for that came from my road at 145," Jourdain said. "I fought big guys all my life. Doo Ho Choi was on the main card. I went toe-to-toe with him and knocked him out in Korea in, what, my second UFC fight? Thinking about that, I'm battle tested, as well. I think I can finish him. I would've have accepted this matchup. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have this crazy belief I could finish anybody in the 135-pound division. Victor Henry was never finished as well, submission or KO. Davey Grant, I almost KO'd him but finished him with a guillotine for the show. I was the first of many men."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Charles Jourdain says UFC 331 foe Marlon Vera not 'a walk in the park'
