Over the past few years, the Frenchman has honed his skills inside the walls of the Auckland gym, developing from a relative newcomer to mixed martial arts into a well-rounded practitioner.
Jousset didn’t start practising in the sport until he decided to relocate from France to Australia, before moving to New Zealand to chase the dream of signing with the biggest promotion in the sport.
This weekend will be his first time competing in MMA in his homeland, and he does so in a bout that comes overflowing with opportunity.
Jousset will square off against fellow rising prospect Bryan Battle on the main card of the UFC’s return to Paris, a fight Jousset believed was one the UFC wanted to give a bit of the spotlight to.
“Absolutely, and I think they are right to do so,” Jousset told the Herald.
“I think it’s going to be a very exciting fight for the fans and I think for both of us with a big win, whoever wins is going to move forward in their career quite quickly.
“I think it’s a smart move from the UFC, and I got ready properly to make sure that it’s my turn to have a big win and take my career forward to the next level.”
Kevin Jousset will return to the UFC octagon against Bryan Battle in Paris this weekend. Photo / Photosport
Jousset (10-2) followed a slightly altered training camp ahead of the bout against Battle (10-2), which made it a bit longer but allowed more room for rest and recovery between blocks of more intense work.
It didn’t make a whole lot of difference to Jousset in the grand scheme of things; his last year has essentially been one long fight camp as he has made quick turnarounds after his fights.
He did, however, note this was the first fight in a long time he wasn’t carrying an injury into the bout.
This will be his sixth fight booked since the start of 2023 – four of those in the UFC – though he comes in after his most recent booking was pulled the day beforehand as his opponent couldn’t make weight. For that fight, he was carrying a rib injury but was prepared to battle through.
“My body’s not hating me as much as it used to in previous fights, so I’m sure it’s going to be a big difference for me to be 100%.”
Against Battle, he meets another well-rounded counterpart, the American being a threat in all areas; winning the Ultimate Fighter at middleweight to earn a UFC contract, before dropping back down in weight class and since posting a 3-1 record with one ni-contest.
“I think it’s the perfect fight for me to, first, be way more known in my country – we all know how fast the sport is developing here in Europe, and France especially – so that is a perfect fight for me. If I get the win the way I think I can win, my career is going to explode. I got ready properly to make that happen,” Jousset said.
“I studied him a lot. I studied him more than my past opponents, watched his fights many, many times, my coaches did too, and we analysed what we should be doing to use his weaknesses and make him pay for whatever he does.
“We know what to do, and I’m sure I’m going to be able to do it.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
