"Look what happened to Cody" - Charles Jourdain on why the era of young, undefeated champions like Jon Jones is over

Cody Garbradt (L), Charles Jourdain (M), and Jon Jones (R) [Images via Getty]

Charles Jourdain recently expressed his opinion on needing to struggle before becoming a UFC champion in this era. At 26 years old, Jourdain holds a UFC record of 4-3-1. 'Air' is currently on a two-fight win streak after beating Andre Ewell and Lando Vannata.

Despite experiencing the ups and downs of MMA, Jourdain has remained confident that he will one day become a UFC champion. The Montreal native believes the days of young, undefeated champions are over due to the depth of talent in every division.

In an interview with SportsKeeda MMA, Jourdain had this to say about what needs to be done before becoming a modern-day UFC champion:

"Back in the days, we had Jose Aldo, 24, champion. Jon Jones, 22. Now it doesn't happen anymore. You need to bleed. In the era of the new generation, nobody can come up undefeated and be like, 'I'm gonna destroy everybody.' Look what happened to Cody 'No Love' [Garbrandt]. Undefeated, 26, becoming champion, and then boom, you get all these f***ing monsters going at it, knocking him out."

Jourdain will look to extend his winning streak to three against Shane Burgos at UFC on ABC 3. 'Air' has some exciting finishes, but he still needs another noteworthy win to crack the rankings. Luckily, Burgos is currently the No.14-ranked featherweight, a ranking that could be taken away if the 26-year-old wins.

Watch the full interview with Charles Jourdain below:

Charles Jourdain sees himself retiring from MMA in 2 or 3 years

Jourdain's self-belief that he will become a UFC champion has remained consistent throughout his career. The unranked featherweight has learned several lessons from his tough losses, and he's emerged as a better fighter.

During the same interview, 'Air' had this to say about his estimated timeline left in MMA:

"If I would speculate, I would say I have three years about left. Becoming champion and just leaving the sport would be my goal. I don't think I would defend it for years and years. I don't know. I don't wanna say something I might regret one day, but yeah, 2-3 years maximum."

Jourdain's focus on his health is commendable. With that said, it will be harder to make that decision if he becomes a champion and starts getting pay-per-view points. Before focusing on title aspirations, 'Air' will have a tough test against Burgos on July 16.

Don't let this fight fly under the radar.

Shane Burgos vs. Charles Jourdain is a great matchup.

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