Jourdain Reveals He Lost Eyesight In UFC 331 TKO

Charles Jourdain lost his vision during the third round of his UFC 331 loss to Marlon Vera and stopped the fight to protect himself from further damage.

The Canadian featherweight, who had won three straight fights since dropping to 135 pounds, waved off the bout after Vera landed a body shot and follow-up head strike in the final frame Saturday in Los Angeles. Jourdain later posted on Instagram that his eyesight gave out mid-round, according to MMA Fighting.

"Lost my eyesight in the third," Jourdain wrote, per MMA Mania. "I waved the fight cause I don't need to receive more strikes to the head. I lost. I failed."

Pre-Existing Eye Problems Forced Surgery

Jourdain had undergone laser surgery on his retina earlier this year after a pre-fight medical exam forced him to pull out of a scheduled bout against Ricky Simon in 2025. He told reporters before UFC 331 that doctors discovered the issue during a routine screening and warned him he risked losing the eye if he fought without treatment. The surgery involved lasering his retina, though Jourdain said his vision remained unchanged afterward.

The stoppage snapped Jourdain's three-fight run that included wins over Kyler Phillips, Davey Grant, and Victor Henry. For Vera, the finish ended a four-fight skid dating back to August 2023 and marked his first victory since defeating Pedro Munhoz over a year ago.

Jourdain's medical team has not issued a timeline for his return. The fighter's next step will be addressing the eye condition that resurfaced under the lights in Los Angeles.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Charles Jourdain explains why he waved off his fight in UFC 331 loss to Marlon Vera | MMA Fighting
• bjpenn.com — Charles Jourdain details frightening eye issue that led to TKO loss against Chito Vera at UFC 331 | BJPenn.com