The MMA Daily

A banger in the Featherweight division kicks off the main card, as Charles Jourdain takes on Nathaniel Wood. Coming off a defeat against Shane Burgos, which could of gone Jourdain’s way, the Canadian returns less than five weeks later to rebound in short order. Previous to the loss, Jourdain had won two straight. Meanwhile, Wood returns to the octagon less than a month since defeating Charles Rosa in his Featherweight debut. Looking for a second straight win in short order, Wood will attempt to rise up the totem in quick fashion.

One of the better fights on the card, I expect these two to put on an entertaining scrap. Jourdain may be coming off a majority decision defeat, but many of the media members and fans saw him defeating Shane Burgos. If there is anything certain, round three, Jourdain looked exceptional and will look to carry that into this fight. A striker, Jourdain is technical, yet not afraid to sling it. With a solid arsenal on the feet, you can expect Jourdain to blend his strikes well with his kicking attacks. Not known for knockout power, Jourdain’s output has usually led to finishes later in the fight. Looking to avoid that is Wood, who is a well rounded fighter with an exceptional motor. Known to rack up the strikes, Wood has averaged 121.3 significant strikes in the past three fights. While up a weight class, Wood’s wrestling and grappling still looked adequate, as he landed one takedown and shrugged off seven of Rosa’s nine takedown attempts.

As for a prediction, I have Jourdain winning. While Wood looked good at Featherweight and his speed, as well as excellent volume translated, Jourdain is the type of fighter that could Wood fits. Obviously lacking takedown defense and given Wood’s wrestling acumen, I could see issues there for the Featherweight. However, as a natural Featherweight, his strength could neutralize Wood. On the feet, both gentlemen are solid in there own right, but it’s the pressure and volume of Jourdain that I see aiding him to victory. So with that said, I predict that Jourdain wins an entertaining fight via decision.