UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis continues on the prelims with a fight in the featherweight division between Charles Jourdain and Sean Woodson. Charles Jourdain is riding a two-fight winning streak coming into this fight in his home country of Canada meanwhile, Woodson has now won three straight and will be looking to make it four in a row in his this matchup at UFC 297 With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Jourdain-Woodson prediction and pick.
Charles Jourdain (15-6-1) is coming off his best victory to date when he submitted Ricardo Ramos in round one via guillotine. He has now won four out of his last six fights and each of his last two and will be looking for his first three-fight winning streak in the UFC. Jourdain will be putting his experience and nonstop pressure to the test when he takes on the very tall and rangy Sean Woodson.
Sean Woodson (10-1-1) secured his contract on the Contender Series with a flying knee knockout of Terrance McKinney. Since then he has gone 4-1-1, most recently dominating short-notice opponent Dennis Buzukja in his last fight. Woodson will be looking to continue his winning ways when he heads to hostile territory to take on Charles Jourdain.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC 297 Odds: Charles Jourdain-Sean Woodson Odds
Charles Jourdain: -218
Sean Woodson: +180
Over 2.5 rounds: -145
Under 2.5 rounds: +114
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Why Charles Jourdain Will Win
Charles “Air” Jourdain has made a name for himself as one of the more entertaining featherweights on the UFC roster. He is certainly one of the more exciting Canadian prospects to watch fight each and every time he steps foot inside the octagon. This will be the first time he gets to fight in front of his home country and he will be looking to put on a show in the process.
Jourdain gets to take on Sean Woodson in a fight that should be a barnburner from start to finish. He will be at a distinct disadvantage at range due to the size and length of Woodson. That means Jourdain will need to navigate through the height and reach advantages that Woodson possesses by hammering the calf kicks and utilizing the grappling that he's shown off in two of his last three wins. If Jourdain can get on the inside of Woodson and use his grappling he extend his winning streak to three at UFC 297.
Why Sean Woodson Will Win
Sean Woodson now has three wins in his last four fights with the only blemish being a split draw against Luis Saldana. However, Woodson was able to put that draw in the rearview when he dominated short-notice replacement Dennis Buzukja in his most recent performance. Now, Woodson attempts to get the biggest win of his career in hostile territory when he takes on Charles Jourdain.
Woodson is one of the best pure boxers we've seen in the featherweight division next to the great boxers like Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar. He utilizes his height and reach very well much like he will do in this matchup. Woodson will sport a 5″ height and 9″ reach advantage and those long limbs come in handy when he is throwing his stiff or his front kicks to keep his opponents on the outside of his strikes. As long as Woodson can keep Jourdain on the outside using those long limbs as he punishes him when he comes within range he could potentially score the upset and extend his winning streak.
Final Charles Jourdain-Sean Woodson Prediction & Pick
This is a fantastic matchup and honestly could've been on the main card but instead we get to watch this firefight live and free on ESPN. Don't expect a feeling-out process between these two featherweights, expect them to just go after it from the get-go. Jourdain certainly has the experience and grappling edge against the pure boxing of Woodson but the size and length could cause major problems for Jourdain.
With that said, Jourdain is going to do what he does best and that is to throw caution to the wind to be the aggressor and got on the inside of Woodson to land his calf kicks and potentially utilize his grappling to his advantage but that will be a lot easier said than done against Woodson who has shown improved takedown defense and the ability to stick his opponents with their jab as they come within range which deter any type of pressure fighting. Ultimately, Jourdain will have trouble maneuvering around the size and length of Woodson who will just potshot and outstrike Jourdain from the outside for the unanimous decision victory to extend his winning streak to four
Final Charles Jourdain-Sean Woodson Prediction & Pick: Sean Woodson (+180), Over 2.5 Rounds (-145)
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