TLDR
- Charles Jourdain faces Marlon Vera Saturday at UFC 331 in Los Angeles with prelims starting at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+
- Jourdain has won three straight fights since moving to bantamweight, while Vera has lost four consecutive decisions
- Jourdain praised Vera’s finishing ability and experience despite the losing streak, warning against underestimating him
- AI prediction model favors Jourdain by unanimous decision with a weighted score of 92.3 to 85.4
- Vera has never been finished in the UFC and owns victories over former champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar
Sources: yardbarker.com | sports.yahoo.com | mmasucka.com
Charles Jourdain will face Marlon Vera on Saturday at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, bringing a three-fight winning streak against a former title challenger riding a four-fight losing streak. The bantamweight bout will take place on the prelims at Crypto.com Arena, with coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Jourdain has found success since dropping from featherweight to bantamweight, improving his record to 18-8-1. The Canadian fighter has submitted Victor Henry and Davey Grant before earning a unanimous decision over Kyler Phillips in April.
Vera, ranked No. 10 in the UFC bantamweight division, brings a deeper resume but enters on a rough stretch. The 33-year-old Ecuadorian fighter is 23-12-1 overall and has competed for the UFC bantamweight championship.
Vera has defeated former champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar and owns a stoppage victory over current champion Sean O’Malley. However, he has lost four consecutive decisions to O’Malley, Deiveson Figueiredo, Aiemann Zahabi, and David Martinez.
‼️ Cerramos cartelera preliminar con representación latina en peso gallo ‼️
🇪🇨 Marlon Vera 🆚 Charles Jourdain 🇨🇦#CryptoCom #UFC331 | Sáb 19 de sep | Ver en vivo por @PPlusDeportes pic.twitter.com/bzeG7qRF8T
— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) September 19, 2026
Jourdain Respects Vera’s Danger Despite Losses
Despite Vera’s recent struggles, Jourdain warned against treating him as an easy opponent. During UFC 331 media day on Wednesday, the Canadian explained why he remains cautious.
“You cannot be in the UFC and treat a former world title challenger as a guy who’s going down,” Jourdain said. “I don’t think it’s possible. He didn’t get knocked out, didn’t get finished in all those fights.”
Jourdain pointed to Vera’s durability and competitive performances even in defeat. Some of Vera’s recent losses were close decisions, with Jourdain believing Vera deserved the win in some fights.
“Chito is dangerous even though he’s 33 and on a four-fight losing streak,” Jourdain added. “It would be very stupid for me to think it’s a walk in the park.”
Jourdain specifically praised Vera’s finishing ability. Vera has 18 finishes in 23 professional victories, including eight knockouts and 10 submissions.
“He’s the type of fighter who doesn’t have 15 minutes to win,” Jourdain explained. “He has 15 minutes to finish you. This is something I respect in the division.”
AI Model Favors Jourdain by Decision
An AI prediction model from Athlon Sports gave Jourdain a weighted score of 92.3 compared to Vera’s 85.4. The model evaluates seven categories including style, recent form, resume, damage, weight, cardio, and intangibles.
The model identified pace as the clearest statistical difference between the fighters. Jourdain lands 5.36 strikes per minute while absorbing 4.11, compared to Vera’s 4.18 landed and 5.34 absorbed.
Jourdain also carries a 57% strike defense rate compared to Vera’s 50%. The model gave Jourdain advantages in style, recent form, damage, and cardio categories.
Vera received higher scores in resume and intangibles due to his experience against elite competition. The Ecuadorian has fought five-round battles against O’Malley, Cruz, José Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and Figueiredo.
The prediction model forecasts a Jourdain unanimous decision victory with 67% winner confidence and 61% method confidence. The most likely alternative outcome is a Vera TKO victory.
The fight carries an additional $50,000 “Proper Chaos” bonus that UFC president Dana White will award to one fighter on the card. Jourdain earned Fight of the Night honors in his April victory over Phillips after defending multiple takedowns.
