Kron Gracie vs Charles Jourdain at UFC 288
KRON GRACIE VS CHARLES JOURDAIN FACTS
When is UFC 288? Sunday 7 May, 2023 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 288? Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 288?
What channel is UFC 288 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 288? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
KRON GRACIE VS CHARLES JOURDAIN LOWDOWN
Kron Gracie (5-1) returns from another hiatus from MMA. After notching up his fourth submission under the Rizin banner in 2016, he was away for over two years but made a memorable return. He graced the UFC octagon for the first time and was paired with the veteran Alex Caceres (2019) and put on a ‘Performance of the Night’ wrapping up a vintage rear-naked choke in the first round. He was then handed another veteran eight months later in Cub Swanson (2019) and bafflingly decided to strike getting outclassed in a unanimous decision.
Charles Jourdain (13-6-1) receives the glamour tie on the main card and although his form does not warrant it, he always brings the excitement. He is coming off two losses which came after two impressive wins. He outpointed Andre Ewell (2021) and submitted Lando Vannata (2022) but then lost decisions to Shane Burgos (2022) and Nathaniel Wood (2022).
KRON GRACIE VS CHARLES JOURDAIN PREDICTION
If you want to test your striking in MMA, Swanson is not the man to try it with. Gracie only attempted two takedowns succeeding with neither and he will have to be a lot more persistent here.
That said, Jourdain’s takedown defence is nowhere near as good as Swanson and is a mere 48% compared to Swanson’s 61%. Jourdain has only avoided the takedown in two of his 10 UFC fights and one of those included Doo Ho Choi who did not even attempt one.
Jourdain is a lot better than his 4-5-1 UFC record suggests and if Gracie decides to stand and trade again, Jourdain will piece him up.
However, we expect Gracie to stick to his strengths and persist with the takedown. If he succeeds, it will only be a matter of time before he cinches up a submission and while he is the underdog, he holds all the value.
Prediction: Gracie via Submission -
Value bet: Gracie via Submission
