Charles Jourdain and Ricardo Ramos will go head-to-head this Saturday night at UFC Vegas 79.
Jourdain, 27, is a strange commodity in the UFC. On one hand, he’s an exceptionally talented kickboxer with a propensity for fun fights. On the other hand, his record is a concerning 5-5. He rebounded from two losses with a unanimous decision win last time out.
Ramos, one year older, is 7-3 in the big show and enters with a two-fight winning streak.
Betting Odds
Jourdain has grown, minimally, as the favorite throughout the week.
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Fight Breakdown
Jourdain is a fighter who I typically feel is better than his record suggests. However, the objective truth is that Jourdain either excels in his fights or significantly struggles, and neither option is often up to him. In a fight where his opponent is willing to stand and trade with the Canadian, Jourdain’s dynamic kicks and snipers for fists often propel him to an exciting and fan-friendly win.
He is exceptionally fast, lands with pop, is athletic enough to execute creative attacks, and has the toughness to withstand punishment in a brawl. However, in fights where his opponent looks to wrestle or clinch fight against the cage, Jourdain struggles. He has a sub 50% takedown defense percentage; and, while he does have a sneaky solid submission game, struggles to get up off his back once down. Additionally, because Jourdain is a sniper on the feet and looks to counter strike, opponents who decide to engage the clinch can often push the pressure and pin Jourdain against the cage.
Ramos is a well-rounded and hyper-athletic fighter who can win fights wherever they go. However, he can sometimes be his own worst enemy in the cage, taking the path of more vs least resistance. On the feet, Ramos is an explosive and dangerous striker with a propensity for spinning attacks. While his striking is fun, Ramos has a negative striking differential because his big movements can be countered with intelligent footwork, well-timed counters, and fundamental attacks. Ramos’ x-factor, and arguably his best attribute, is his wrestling.
Much like his striking, Ramos’ wrestling is explosive and rooted in natural athleticism. He has a knack for timing his shots on the heels of his own offensive striking barrage which often means his opponent is moving backward. Putting his opponent on their heels before shooting a takedown helps increase the success of his attempts- its harder to defend takedowns when moving backward. Then, once he gets an opponent down, he quickly hunts the back to try and secure a submission finish. His quick transition to the back sometimes allows his opponent to scramble back to their feet, but Ramos is adept at repeating his shots and looking for mat returns.
Jourdan vs. Ramos prediction
This fight could go any number of ways. If Ramos tries to stand and trade with Jourdain, Jourdain should out-volume and out-damage Ramos with relative ease. Jourdain’s kickboxing is electric and Ramos has struggled against lengthy strikers in the past (Nurmagomedov and Murphy).
However, if Ramos laces up his wrestling shoes, he should be able to dump Jourdain down over and over for 15 minutes. Then again, if Ramos mixes it up, it has the potential for a fight of the night caliber match.
Given that this fight comes down to how Ramos decides to approach it has me leaning his way. I prefer to back the fighter who has the influence to dictate the fight and we’re getting him at dog money. I like Ramos to win a wrestle-heavy decision and send Jourdain’s ranking below .500.
Best Bet: Ramos to win (+120 at BetUS)
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