Charles Jourdain: ‘Lost my eyesight’ in Marlon Vera fight at UFC 331

Charles Jourdain's decision to wave off his UFC 331 bout against Marlon Vera in the third round was driven by a serious medical concern: temporary vision loss. Fighting on the preliminary card at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Jourdain was knocked down by "Chito" Vera and signaled his intention to stop, prompting the referee to wave off the contest and award Vera his first finish in four years.

Initially unclear why the Canadian bantamweight had quit, Jourdain later clarified via Instagram that he had lost his eyesight following the knockdown. "Lost my eyesight in the third," he wrote. "I waved the fight 'cause I don't need to receive more strikes to the head. I lost. I failed."

The fighter's decision to exit the contest rather than risk further head trauma reflects a growing awareness within the sport of the cumulative dangers of continued striking exchanges. Jourdain had enjoyed a successful run at bantamweight following his drop from featherweight, posting three consecutive wins at 135 pounds before the loss to Vera. The setback interrupts what had been a promising momentum shift for the fighter after moving down in weight class.