The vibe at Fight Island is completely unique, and Charles Jourdain is about to step into that unfamiliar environment for the first time.
From Montreal, QC, Jourdain (10-3) will take on Australian fighter Joshua Culibao (8-1) in a featherweight clash on Saturday evening at UFC on ESPN 16 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Having witnessed the excitement and fan enthusiasm surrounding the UFC's initial visit to Fight Island, Jourdain, 24, expressed his thrill and gratitude at being chosen to fight in this second run.
"I'm incredibly excited—I honestly don't have the words," Jourdain told MMA Empire in an interview.
"I know this moment will be part of history. It's a one-of-a-kind situation. We'll look back ten years from now and I'll be able to say that when I was young, I fought during this pandemic, without crowds, out in the desert of Abu Dhabi. It's a remarkable story to share, and I'm proud to be living it."
This marks the second time Jourdain has competed without fans in attendance. He previously fought Andre Fili in June at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV.
Jourdain noted that he typically thrives on crowd interaction—he feeds off the energy—and before his bout with Fili, he hadn't been certain he'd enjoy fighting without spectators.
Yet after going through it once, he discovered he actually enjoyed the experience.
"I connect with audiences because of how I fight. Back in TKO MMA, I was kind of like the Conor McGregor of that organization, if you will. I had that smiling poster-boy image while absolutely destroying opponents," Jourdain shared.
"When I prepared for the Fili fight, I kept wondering how I was going to handle performing without fans. But that match awakened something inside me. I thought, 'No crowd? I don't care—I'm here to dominate.' It stirred up a fierce competitor within me, and I genuinely loved it. Honestly, I felt there were too many people around. In my mind, there should only be one referee, and even our corners shouldn't be present. Strip away everything else, and it would be brutal and amazing."
Jourdain has been battle-tested
Since his UFC debut against Des Green, Jourdain has consistently faced top competition from both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. After opening his UFC career with a victory over Green, Jourdain secured his first UFC win with a second-round knockout of Doo Ho Choi, then dropped a split decision to Fili in his most recent outing.
Given the caliber of opponents he's already encountered early in his career, Jourdain said the experience has significantly boosted his confidence ahead of Saturday's bout with Culibao.
"I'm facing Josh Culibao, who's a dangerous opponent, but he hasn't faced the level of competition these others have. I'm not saying this out of arrogance—I'm simply stating facts," Jourdain explained.
"He's not on the level of Doo Ho Choi, he's not Andre Fili, and he lacks the wrestling pedigree of Desmond Green. This fight isn't about him; it's entirely about me."
Jourdain has quickly established himself as a fighter with sharp, eye-catching striking—a trait that also helped him succeed on Canadian regional circuits.
While Culibao is also viewed as a striker, Jourdain believes Culibao will follow the pattern he's seen from nearly every striker he's encountered: transitioning into wrestling mode.
"Every time I face a striker, they invariably shoot for takedowns. Whenever I anticipate a stand-up battle, they end up going for the takedown—just like Fili did," Jourdain observed.
"Even though Culibao labels himself a striker, he'll be wrestling. I'm going to start landing kicks and punches hard, and he's going to shift into wrestler mode. That's exactly what I'm anticipating."
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