Newark, NJ — UFC 289 in Vancouver is right around the corner, but despite coming away from a fight this Kron Gracie on Saturday relatively unscathed, don’t expect Charles Jourdain to take part.
With age comes wisdom, and as far as Jourdain (14-6-1) is concerned, now is the time to focus on being a better fighter.
That means “No more two months, jump in there and jump out, unless it’s a very good opportunity,” said Jourdain during UFC 288’s post-fight press conference, noting that strategy was “a key element” to his victory on Saturday.
“I’m going to be in Vancouver, but not for a fight,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press. “Just to see my brother Marc-Andre Barriault perform.”
Jourdain then addressed maturing both as a man and as a fighter.
“I turned 27, I’m still quite young, but I need to mature as a fighter else I’m going to lose my job, and I don’t want that. So those two losses in a row, in Paris [against Nathaniel Wood] and then to [Shane] Burgeos, if I had been a little bit more mature, I would have won these. But now I’m more mature, I’m a better man, and therefore I’m a better fighter.”
The Canadian also revealed the Gracie tried to headbutt him a couple of times during the fight. “I looked at the ref one time, I’m like ‘come on!'” Jourdain added that “his guard was very dangerous,” but at the same time, “I was very prepared for it.”
Jourdain called out one of the best-known featherweights in the promotion at UFC 288, and reiterated his desire for that fight backstage at the Prudential Center.
“Edson Barboza. Captain Barboza. I would love to fight him, it would be a good ol’ stirking match,” exclaimed Jourdain, with a nod to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. “I won’t try to take him down.”
Charles Jourdain understands, however, that Barboza might not be interested in the fight. “I know he said he wanted to fight someone in the higher rankings because he wants a title shot, that’s up to him. He’s on the A-side, I’m on the B-side. But fans would be happy. I would be happy.”
Watch the full UFC 288 post-fight press conference with Charles Jourdain above.
