UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo was a night to remember filled with fun fights, exciting finishes, and tons of storylines ahead of pivotal bouts. One hot topic ahead of the Main Card was the return of Kron Gracie to mixed martial arts and how he would fare against his opponent Charles ‘Air' Jourdain. The result drew a comment from UFC President Dana White saying, “It was like a time capsule out of 1995.” Fans were active on twitter in voicing their disappointment on twitter over Gracie's lackluster performance.

 

Gracie, a member of the legendary Gracie family of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and multiple time world champion in gi and no-gi competition, had his first fight in the UFC since his loss to Cub Swanson in 2019. His only other fight in the UFC was a win against Alex Caceres in which he notched a signature submission win. Dana White certainly likes Kron Gracie as a person and has a ton of respect for him, but couldn't help but iterate the fact that the sport is constantly changing. A fight could have been won on pure Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skill in the early days of the UFC, but today's landscape calls for a more complete game. It takes a well-rounded fighter in all areas to have success against today's talent.

During the fight, Charles Jourdain played an extremely smart game and kept circling to the outside, away from Gracie. Gracie struggled to find the range in the striking and began to gas out mid-way through the fight. The crowd cheered every time the fight hit the mat, but Gracie failed to do much with his opportunities as Jourdain stifled him. Gracie got pieced up on the feet in the final round and fans were disappointed in the performance.

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Along with several pros, fans in the Twitter replies were furious with what they saw. One user wrote, “He was just looking for a paycheck.” Another user commented, “Embarrassing to the family name.” Despite what the experts at home may say, Kron Gracie has to be commended for stepping out there in the first place. However, Charles Jourdain should be the one receiving praise for his brilliant game plan. He was able to stay patient and not play into Gracie's game, something he spelled out in an interview with Aaron Bronsteter before the fight.

All in all, it was a great performance by Jourdain and it's likely that we won't see Kron Gracie fighting in the UFC again. Charles Jourdain, on the other hand, is ready for another exciting fight and vowed that he wants to fight a kickboxer next. What did you think about the fight? Follow our UFC news for fight updates and breaking content!