UNIONDALE, N.Y. – If Shane Burgos was going to fight someone below him in the rankings, he thinks Charles Jourdain was the matchup to accept.
Burgos (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) meets Jourdain (13-4-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) in an anticipated featherweight bout on Saturday’s UFC on ABC 3 main card, which airs on ABC from UBS Arena following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Although a lot of fighters are always looking ahead and hesitant to put their spot at risk, Burgos, who is No. 14 in the latest official UFC rankings, was willing to make it happen this time.
“My last fight, I defended my spot, so I expected to get someone in the top 15,” Burgos told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 3 media day. “They gave me this matchup, and I was like, ‘Is there nobody else?’ They said everyone else was booked up or hurt, so they said, ‘You can either wait a little or take this one.’ This is a f*cking awesome matchup going into my last fight on my deal. I think this is a good one to put a stamp on it.”
Burgos understands the expectations around this fight and why the UFC put it together. He and Jourdain are among the best rising action fighters at 145 pounds, and both aspire to climb the rankings.
At this stage in his career, Burgos has already fought the likes of Edson Barboza, Josh Emmett and Cub Swanson. He knows what it’s like to go through a barnburner and thinks one more is likely on the horizon.
“He’s definitely up there (with my most violent opponents),” Burgos said. “He reminds me of a younger Cub Swanson. That’s the vibe I get right there.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 3.
Shane Burgos: Charles Jourdain ‘a f*cking awesome matchup’ going into last fight on UFC contract
