Canadian featherweight Charles Jourdain returns to action at UFC Vegas 79 to face Ricardo Ramos, and is bringing a new mindset with him. That’s after being “spit on” by media at home in Quebec.
“I was building proper hype, I did the spartan kick with Andre Ewell, guillotined Lando Vannata, then had a big war with Shane Burgos,” Jourdain (14-6-1) recalled during this week’s UFC Vegas 79 media day.
Signalling his rising stock, Jourdain believed that “oh sh*t, everybody likes me now.” Only, it didn’t last. “Then you have a bad night at the office and everyone spits on you. Mainly media, especially from Quebec. I was like ‘wow, I’ve been busting my ass off for you guys, and you spit in my face?”
That led Jourdain to believe he needed to become more self-centred. He’s gone so far as to pick up reading material focusing on that, though the generally good-natured Jourdain is still super supportive of his fellow Canadian fighters.
“I’m still 27 and I’m seeing those up-and-coming guys fighting at Dana White’s Contender [Series] and everything. Like I said I’m still younger than these guys but it’s good to know I have a positive impact, they cheer on for me. Mike Malott sent me encouragement, Kyle Nelson as well,” noted Jourdain. “All the Canadians are kind of rushing together, pushing me and I’m very happy for that. I’m behind them and they’re behind me, it’s a cool red flag bunch of fighters.”
As for the whole idea of being “spit on” at home and the sport lagging behind where it was a decade ago, “the problem with Canada is the lack of amount of people,” suggested Jourdain.
“We’re only eight million in Quebec. So it’s putting down the drain— because I’m not like Georges [St-Pierre], they don’t give a sh*t about me. It doesn’t piss me of, because I learned to live with it, but there’s never going to be another Georges. And Georges set the bar so high for us.”
St-Pierre, of course, is a two-division champ and one of the most famous fighters in history, and happens to hail from Quebec, like Jourdain himself. So besides the lack of population, the country did become used to having the best fighters ever. “Sometimes I watch on UFC Canada, and it’s like ‘he’s good but he’s never going to be Georges.’ I’m like ‘yeah no sh*t, no one’s going to be Georges.’ It f*cking hurts to see that. Come on, you need think deeper than that, like of course I’m not going to be the greatest fighter of all time, but I’m representing your flag at the end of the day. Which I’m happy about.”
“It makes me laugh, it’s okay. I wish more people were interested in it, but it’s okay. Their choice. They can watch hockey.”
With that said, Jourdain is hoping to get on a Canadian card next, possibly in Toronto early next year. He’s just not making any plans just yet. “Every time I plan something, something bad happens,” said Jourdain, while noting that the “timing fits perfectly.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 79 media day appearance by Charles Jourdain above.
