Injury forces Canadian bantamweight Charles (Air) Jourdain off UFC card in Atlanta

An injury has forced Canadian bantamweight Charles (Air) Jourdain off Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card in Atlanta.

The 29-year-old from Montreal was slated to face Ricky Simon, who will now take on fellow American Cameron (The Baby-Faced Killer) Smotherman at State Farm Arena.

“It is with deep sorrow that I announce my first withdrawal from my fight in 15 UFC appearances,” Jourdain said in a social media post. “Unfortunately, I was not medically cleared due to a condition requiring surgical intervention. I trust this is part of a greater plan and I’m committed to returning stronger.”

Saturday’s main event pits former welterweight champion Kamaru (The Nigerian Nightmare) Usman, a Nigerian-born American currently ranked fifth among 170-pound contenders, against No. 7 Joaquin (New Mansa) Buckley of the United States.

Jourdain (16-8-1) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a submission win over Victor (La Mangosta) Henry in November in Edmonton. He is 7-7-1 in the UFC since making his debut in the promotion in May 2109.

Canadian flyweight Jamey-Lyn Horth (7-2-0) takes on American Vanessa (Lil Monster) Demopoulos on the Atlanta undercard. The 35-year-old from Squamish, B.C., is coming off a December loss to No. 11 Miranda (Fear The) Maverick, who fights former strawweight champion Rose (Thug) Namajunas in Saturday’s all-American co-main event.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.