Charles Jourdain has yet to fully establish himself in his four-plus years as a part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) roster, a reality he undoubtedly wants to change. The action-minded 27-year-old will face the returning Ricardo Ramos in a UFC Fight Night 228 featherweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where he will attempt to improve upon a .500 record inside the Octagon. Jourdain has won three of his past five bouts and last competed on May 6, when he snapped a two-fight losing streak with a three-round unanimous decision over 2013 Abu Dhabi Submission Fighting World Championship gold medalist Kron Gracie at UFC 288.
As “Air” Jourdain makes final preparations for his forthcoming clash with Ramos at 145 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. Suburbia gave him his start.
Jourdain was born on Nov. 27, 1995, in Beloeil, Quebec, a city of some 21,000 people situated 20 miles east of Montreal. It was once home to Lorne John “Gump” Worsley, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and 1980 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee who was part of four Stanley Cup championships as goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens.
2. Initial growing pains were few and far between.
The Academie Pro Star MMA representative made his professional debut at the age of 20 when he took down Thomas Sumantri with a flying knee in the first round of their May 2016 encounter under the Quebec Mixed Martial Arts League banner. Jourdain won his first five bouts, all via stoppage, marking himself as a prospect to watch in the Great White North.
3. Gold paved his way to the big leagues.
Jourdain captured the TKO Major League MMA featherweight championship when he defeated Alex Morgan with a first-round guillotine choke in the TKO 45 headliner on Dec. 7, 2018. He went on to claim the company’s interim lightweight crown four months later, then signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
4. He rose out of a proven lineage.
The one-time UFC “Fight of the Night” bonus winner holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Fabio Holanda, a decorated grappler who owns the Brazilian Top Team affiliate in Montreal. Jourdain has secured four of his 14 victories by submission, including a successfully executed guillotine choke on Lando Vannata at UFC Fight Night 205.
5. Durability has become a selling point.
Jourdain has been finished only once in his 21-fight career. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 semifinalist Julian Erosa did the honors when he tapped the Canadian with a brabo choke at UFC Fight Night 191 in 2021. Jourdain went the distance in his five other losses to T.J. Laramie, Desmond Green, Andre Fili, Shane Burgos, and Nathaniel Wood.