Preview: UFC Fight Night 191 Prelims

Catchweights

NR | Charles Jourdain (11-3-1, 2-2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Julian Erosa (25-9, 3-5 UFC)

ODDS: Jourdain (-175), Erosa (+155)

This is strong matchmaking, as both of these men bring nothing but excitement to the table. Jourdain was a clear prospect to watch on the Canadian scene, mostly owing to his ability to finish his opponents with flashy offense. However, “Air Jourdain” is still figuring out things up a level against better competition, as he is no longer clearly the more athletic or explosive fighter compared to his opposition. Jourdain’s sometimes aimless approach has led to a grab bag of results: There was his breakout knockout of Doo Ho Choi and an impressively close performance against Andre Fili but also a split draw against Josh Culibao that he should have easily won on paper. Jourdain clearly got the better of Marcelo Rojo in an entertaining bout on March 13 and looks for another war here against Erosa.

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For years, Erosa was the perfect example of a fighter who was too good for the regional scene but unable to stick in the UFC. After earning contracts through “The Ultimate Fighter” and Dana White’s Contender Series, “Juicy J” quickly slid out of the promotion on both occasions. He got a late-notice call as an injury replacement in June 2020 and has made good on his third shot with the promotion, earning finishes over Sean Woodson and Nate Landwehr before falling to Seung Woo Choi. Historically, the problem for Erosa is that his aggressive style comes with defensive movement that is enough to outmaneuver regional opponents but can get him caught cold against harder-hitting opposition. While Erosa can push a pace and possibly mix in some grappling success, Jourdain is creative enough that he should be able to connect hard with the Washington native’s chin at some point over three rounds. The pick is Jourdain via third-round stoppage.

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