Preview: UFC 297 Prelims

Featherweights

Charles Jourdain (15-6-1, 6-5-1 UFC) vs. Sean Woodson (10-1-1, 4-1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Jourdain (-190), Woodson (+145)

This should be a compelling fight no matter what, but it will be interesting to see if one of these two fighters can put together a complete breakthrough performance. Jourdain has been both a fascinating and frustrating fighter to track since hitting the UFC in 2019. Canada’s “Air” has shown flashes of brilliance during his 12-fight UFC career but rarely towards any level of consistency. Upon making it to the UFC, Jourdain was clearly a fighter content to throw out ideas and then figure out the rest later; and while that approach led Jourdain to find some impressive finishes early in his UFC campaign, he was just as likely to fall behind against opponents able to take advantage of his inefficiency and lack of defense. Jourdain eventually honed his craft to the point that he could find some higher-level wins, but even those fights were marred by his tendency to let an opponent dictate the terms of the fight with the confidence that he can storm his way back. It has often worked, but it also led to his simply getting outwrestled in some recent losses. The 2023 campaign was a mixed bag for Jourdain, to the point that it is hard to know how he will show up from fight to fight. He put in the most thoughtful and measured approach of his career to score a decision win over Kron Gracie in May, then showed little of that strategic thinking against Ricardo Ramos in September, hunting a low-percentage guillotine choke repeatedly until it actually worked. Jourdain is still somehow just 28 years old and very much feels like a fighter who will round into his peak form in a few years through sheer experience, but the road to getting there could be rocky. Woodson is an interesting next challenge for Jourdain, as the American is also a fascinating talent looking to put together a grab bag of skills, though “The Sniper” has not kept up nearly the active schedule that Jourdain has. Woodson stands out as a 6-foot-2 featherweight with one of the longest frames in the division, and his craft as a former boxer comes through in his fights. When Woodson’s game gets fully rolling, he shows an impressive ability to string together combinations and pick apart his opponents. However, getting there can be a bit of an adventure. Woodson’s last few fights have seen him need to overcome some slow starts, and despite his size, he often fights with a pressure-heavy approach that gives his opponents a lot of opportunities to land some offense. It would be nice to see this fight go the distance since both men tend to improve as their fights go on and should combine for an absolute war, but there is a decent chance that Jourdain’s dynamism allows him to catch Woodson cold before things settle into a groove. The pick is Jourdain via first-round knockout.

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