Fan-Friendly UFC Banger Reportedly Set as First Fight Booked for UFC 331 Card

A huge matchup for the UFC bantamweight division has reportedly been set as the first fight for UFC 331.

The attention of the combat sports world is squarely centered on Las Vegas, NV this week, as former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor is set to return from a five-year layoff and rematch Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329.

Next month will also see Islam Makhachev make the first defense of his welterweight belt against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, which will mark the promotion’s return to Philadelphia, PA for the first time since 2019.

Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain Fight Booked for UFC 331

There’s been no concrete update on a location for UFC 331 in September, though recent reports indicate that the plan is for the event to take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA on September 19.

After the fight was originally rumored to be the co-main event for the upcoming UFC Oklahoma City card on July 18, MMA Latinoamérica was the first to report that a pivotal bantamweight matchup
between Marlon “Chito” Vera and Charles Jourdain will take place at UFC 331.

Charles Jourdain (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Along with the report from MMA Latinoamérica, Vera’s management team at Iridium Sports Agency also confirmed that the Ecuadorian will square off with Jourdain on September 19.

Marlon Vera Looks to Snap Worst Losing Streak of Career

The showdown with Jourdain will be a pivotal one for Vera, as the former bantamweight title challenger currently finds himself on the most difficult run of his professional MMA career.

“Chito” joined the UFC in 2014 after appearing on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America and initially went 4-4 in the promotion before putting together an impressive five-fight run of consecutive finishes, which stands as the best win streak of his UFC career.

Marlon Vera (red gloves) fights Aiemann Zahabi (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Vera famously handed Sean O’Malley his first loss at UFC 252 before falling to UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo, but he rebounded with another four-fight win streak that saw him earn post-fight bonuses for every one of those victories.

Marlon Vera (blue gloves) fights Sean O’Malley (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beginning with his loss to O’Malley in a bantamweight title fight at UFC 299, Vera has dropped four-straight bouts and most recently lost a unanimous decision to David Martinez in Mexico City last February.

Charles Jourdain is 3-0 Since Moving to Bantamweight

Currently sitting at #13 in the new Meta AI UFC rankings, Jourdain is undefeated since making the move down to the bantamweight division in late 2024.

After debuting with the UFC as a lightweight in 2019, the Canadian dropped to featherweight and experienced mixed success during an initial UFC run that saw him compile a 6-7-1 record with the promotion.

Kyler Phillips (red gloves) fights Charles Jourdain (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jourdain’s first bantamweight outing saw him submit Victor Henry in the second round at UFC Edmonton, and he also caught Davey Grant with another guillotine choke just over three minutes into their matchup at UFC Vancouver in October.

“Air” won post-fight bonuses for both of those victories, and he extended both his winning run and bonus streak in his last outing when he defeated Kyler Phillips in a bout that took home “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC Winnipeg.

Vera vs. Jourdain is certainly a strong start for UFC 331, and fans should keep an eye out for more fight announcements in the coming weeks given that the card is just over two months away.

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