Kevin Jousset

Kevin Jousset is a 31-year-old French mixed martial artist whose path to the UFC was built on a foundation of elite judo training from childhood and a meteoric rise through regional Australian MMA. Born in Bordeaux, Jousset committed to judo from age four, earning his 2nd degree black belt by 14 before a shoulder injury forced him to temporarily step away from the sport. After learning English in Scotland as a waiter, he moved to Melbourne in 2016, joined Absolute MMA alongside future UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and built a professional record through the Australian regional circuit. His signature achievement came in 2023 when he became the first fighter ever to simultaneously hold both the HEX Middleweight and Welterweight championships, a feat that caught the attention of City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman and former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, both of whom recommended him to the UFC.

Jousset fights with a grappler's mindset rooted in judo, preferring to establish position on the ground and hunt submissions, particularly the rear-naked choke. His striking game is functional but modest in volume and accuracy, with the bulk of his significant strikes landing from the standing position. He has posted four knockout victories in his pro career, though his primary offensive tool remains his submission expertise and positional control.

He arrived in the UFC with genuine momentum, submitting Irish fighter Kiefer Crosbie in the first round at UFC 293 in his promotional debut in September 2023, then defeated Song Kenan via unanimous decision in December 2023. However, his tenure in the promotion has proved challenging. He was knocked out by Bryan Battle in September 2024 and then lost a unanimous decision to Jonathan Micallef at UFC 312 in February 2025. Most recently, he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Patrick Habirora in the PFL at the tail end of 2025, signaling that his gap in competitive level remains steep at the elite stage.