Royce Gracie was one of the biggest reasons behind the early success of the UFC. While the days of the Gracie family’s dominance in the martial arts community are long gone, Kron Gracie is here to rewind the clock. He makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon in the UFC 288 main card against Charles Jourdain.
Charles Jourdain is known for putting up entertaining fights. His last few bouts against Shane Burgos and Nathaniel Wood were firecrackers. However, he fell short in both of those fights. However, he did beat Lando Vannata and Andre Ewell successively prior to that. His last bout was against Wood, which took place in September 2022. Hence, he is returning after 8 months on the sidelines.
Abrimos las estelares con choque que promete emociones en peso pluma👏 #UFC288
Kron Gracie vs @JourdainAir pic.twitter.com/8OmWrKcfBD
— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) May 5, 2023
Kron Gracie, on the other hand, had an almost 4-year long hiatus. His last bout inside the Octagon came in October 2019, against Cub Swanson. It won the award for the “Fight of the Night.” Although Gracie is a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, he did not use his grappling at all and chose to stand and bang with Swanson. However, unfortunately for Kron, he lost the bout via unanimous decision.
So the question is, how will Kron Gracie approach the fight this weekend against Charles Jourdain? Let’s find out.
UFC 288: Kron Gracie vs Charles Jourdain, Stats
| Stats | Kron Gracie | Charles Jourdain |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 5 | 13 |
| Losses | 1 | 6 |
| Height | 1.75 m | 1.75 m |
| Division | Featherweight | Featherweight |
| Reach | 177.8 cm | 175.3 cm |
| Age | 34 | 27 |
Gracie vs Jourdain: Fight Breakdown
Charles Jourdain started his MMA career in May 2016. He has a professional record of 13 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw. Among his wins, Jourdain has 8 KO/TKOs and 4 submissions. So he has a great finishing rate. In comparison, Gracie is a relatively newbie in the sport. He has an MMA record of 5-1. Interestingly, Gracie started his career in 2014.
View this post on Instagram
However, throughout the last 9 years, Gracie has had a stopgap career. Kron Gracie has a 100% finishing rate and unsurprisingly, all of them have come via stoppage. According to UFC Stats, in his two fights inside the Octagon, Gracie averages 5.15 strikes per minute. However, what is shocking, is his striking defense. The 34-year-old absorbs 8.13 strikes per minute.
He averages a mere 0.88 takedowns per fight. In his fight against Cub Swanson, it was evident that Gracie needed to work on his takedowns. Despite having a great BJJ skillset, Gracie was not particularly good at taking down his opponents. Charles Jourdain, on the other hand, lands 5.84 strikes per minute. Although he absorbs 4.56 strikes per minute, it is much better than Gracie.
View this post on Instagram
But what works against Charles, is his 48% takedown defense. There is no doubt about what kind of game plan Charles is going to have. He will be desperate to avoid going to the mat against Gracie. If the bout stays on the feet, Charles is more likely to win. However, if Gracie can get the bout to the ground, he may get the 6th submission win of his MMA career.
