Charles Jourdain had no trouble with Kron Gracie tonight at UFC 288 as he comfortably outstruck the BJJ ace and denied him any submission opportunities to win on the scorecards.
Round One:
Nice jab from Jourdain after coming up short with a straight. Now Jourdain does connect with a clean right hand and then follows up with more punches behind it.
Gracie with a right hand of his own as he closes the distance and clinches up against the cage. Jourdain able to break free though.
Gracie closes the gap again and this time Jourdain throws him off-balance to the mat, but doesn’t follow him to the mat.
Jourdain threatening with an uppercut. A couple of oblique kicks for Gracie. Jourdain lands an uppercut. Now a jab from him.
Leg kick for Gracie and Jourdain fires off a combination in response. Uppercut from Gracie.
Gracie clinches up in the center of the Octagon and then pulls guard. Jourdain in Gracie’s closed guard for now, and staying tight to him as he looks to avoid any submission attempts.
Gracie trying to set something up from his back, but Jourdain avoids danger and then picks his moment to back away. Gracie starts to butt-scoot but then opts to just stand up.
Jourdain looking to time an uppercut as Gracie closes the distance and clinches up with him against the cage.
Jourdain does well to spin around and get away. Gracie with a few light leg kicks and Jourdain fires off punches without landing cleanly as the round ends.
Round Two:
Jourdain with a few punches to start the second round and then backs away as Gracie attempts to clinch.
It’s not long before Gracie is again into the clinch and this time pulls guard close to the cage. Jourdain stays upright though, but still with Gracie’s legs wrapped around him, and then eventually they both go to the mat.
Jourdain not being so cautious on top this time as he looks for offense. Gracie being the more active of the two even though he’s on his back though as he throws a few strikes and looks for any openings to set up a submission. Jourdain decides to back up and go back to the feet.
Jourdain with a knee to the midsection. Gracie attempts to clinch but Jourdain shoves him away.
Jourdain lands to the body and starts trying for an uppercut. Gracie tries to clinch and eats an elbow for his troubles.
Jourdain with a flurry of punches and Gracie does get a left hand through too. Into the clinch Gracie goes and then successfully pulls guard.
Gracie with a few heel strikes to the leg. Jourdain opts to just stay tight on top until the horn sounds.
Round Three:
Jourdain with a left hook of the guard. A straight gets through. Short uppercut from him. He lands again and then backs off.
Right hand connects for Jourdain. Another punch lands and Gracie attempts to pull guard, but Jourdain pushes him off.
Knee to the body from Jourdain. He lands a solid uppercut. Heavy body punch from Jourdain now. He lands an elbow in close.
Uppercut series and then a knee to the body for Jourdain. Gracie with a kick and then pulls guard in the center of the Octagon.
Again Jourdain opts to stay tight in Gracie’s guard, only landing a few body punches. Gracie still looking to strike from his back too, but unable to get anything going submission wise.
Jourdain stands back up and Gracie remains grounded and butt-scoots after his opponent. Nothing doing with that and the ref tells him to stand up.
Jourdain back to letting his hands go. In the clinch Jourdain lands a knee and backs out. Leg kick for Jourdain. He lands a nice punch and another leg kick.
Clean right hand for Jourdain. Jumping knee attempt from Jourdain misses and then throws a head kick that’s blocked in the final seconds.
Decision:
Jourdain was the clear winner here, easily outstriking Gracie on the feet, while being mindful defensively on top too when his opponent pulled guard to ensure a convincing unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
