UNIONDALE, N.Y. – They’re not changing his nickname to “Boba Fett” or “The Mandalorian” just yet, but after UFC on ABC 3, who knows.
Charles Jourdain (13-4-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) says he’s ready to go into bounty hunter mode when he takes on Shane Burgos (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on Saturday’s main card in Elmont, N.Y. The matchup is one of two he was hoping for. Once he got it, his mission was clear.
“Money is a good thing, but I’m chasing his head more than anything,” Jourdain told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day. “They call me. They say, ‘We have a bounty on Shane Burgos’ head. If you win, we’ll give you this. Do you want it? Yes or no?’ I’m more of a bounty hunter. … Bounty hunting is my job right now.”
Jourdain has back-to-back wins for the first time in his time in the UFC of more than three years. It’s his first winning streak since he was a two-division champion at lightweight and featherweight in Canada’s TKO promotion.
After a submission win over Lando Vannata in April, he asked for Burgos or Edson Barboza knowing a win over one of them is the kind that could propel him into the featherweight rankings.
“In terms of matchup, everybody freaked out when they saw the news,” Jourdain said. “I think Edson was a very nice fight, as well. But Shane and Edson were the two guys I was very interested in. I said Edson because he has a bigger name. But either way, I’m very happy. … When they said Shane Burgos, I was very happy. When they said it was going to be in his backyard, I said, ‘Oh, sh*t. Let’s go.’ I think the only fight that can steal the show from us is the five-rounder, the featherweights.”
Burgos is a New Yorker from the Bronx who will without question have the Long Island fans no his side in a major way. This past November, he snapped the first skid of his career – losses to Emmett and Barboza – with a decision win over Billy Quarantillo.
All three of Burgos’ losses – to Calvin Kattar, in addition to Emmmett and Barboza – have been Fight of the Night winners. But it’s the Emmett fight that Jourdain looked at and knew he was in for a potential banger.
“It’s my time to make it to the top 15, but it’s going to be a hard one – a fun one,” he said. “It takes two to tango. I’m aware of his abilities and I’m aware that he’s pushing the pace. I never have faced someone that pushes the pace as much as him. Nobody laughs when they get hit by Josh Emmett, and this guy laughs. So he’s a very scary man, and that makes it so interesting.
“I’ve dropped a lot of guys with my left hand, and if I hit him right on the jaw and he starts smiling, I’m going to go, ‘OK, keep it composed and keep doing damage’ as much as I can. … I’m coming as a kickboxer more than anything, kicking. He says he wants to use his grappling a lot, which is something I’m concerned about. But you saw in my last fight I have the ability to submit these guys. I submitted Vannata, who’s only been submitted by Tony Ferguson.”
Check out Jourdain’s full interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 3.
Charles Jourdain ready to go into bounty hunter mode for Shane Burgos’ head