In a battle of two fighters moving weight classes, it’s Myktybek Orolbai — who was moving up in weight — that got the better of former middleweight contender Jack Hermansson in their welterweight matchup.
Orolbai looked to be the more aggressive fighter in this one, starting off by pushing the pressure, while Hermansson stayed patient and worked behind his jab. Hermansson checked a leg kick, but Orolbai used those low kicks to continue to press forward with his punching.
After sending Hermansson reeling back with one right hand, Orolbai landed another harsh right hand that sent Hermansson out cold before he even hit the canvas.
Myktybek Orolbai Separates Jack Hermansson From Consciousness At UFC Qatar
Orolbai has now won two straight and is 4-1 since debuting in the Octagon in November 2023. His sole loss came in a split decision, Fight of the Night defeat to Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 308.
This was Hermansson’s first fight at 170. He came into this contest off a knockout loss to Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues at UFC 317 in June.
In one of the most devastating knockouts in the history of the UFC, Gregory Rodrigues put out the lights of Jack Hermansson, scoring the first-round finish in the featured prelim bout of UFC 317.
Hermansson got on the attack early, working low kicks and combinations as he placed a small cut on Rodrigues. Rodrigues looked to pressure back, however, and showed his power in his punches.
The fight ended in dramatic fashion as “Robocop” landed a devastating left hand that dropped Hermansson right to the mat, putting him out cold. Rodrigues followed it up with another strong hammerfist before referee Herb Dean could jump in to stop the action.
I thought Hermanson was looking really good too. Robocop bas the one shot KO power though. Wish herb got in the way of that hammer fist at the end. #ufc319
The UFC has grown exponentially in the years since its inception way back in 1993. While the sport of MMA has come a long way since the days of groin strikes, headbutts and Tank Abbott, the demands placed on the global leader to satisfy an ever-growing audience in this social media-driven world has led to a swollen roster of contracted fighters.
The need to provide content to fulfil contractual obligations with TV networks has meant an increase in the overall number of events the UFC are pumping out these days. There are 53 shows scheduled to take place in 2024 alone, between pay-per-view events and âFight Nightâ cards, spread out over international locations such as Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Australia and of course, the United States.
With many of these events taking place in the relatively low-key surroundings of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, some of these cards have become less about putting fans in seats and more about ticking off fights on some fightersâ contracts. The biggest names are being kept for the pay-per-views and the rest are being wheeled out with the sole purpose of filling in the gaps.
This Saturdayâs Fight Night event (set to be headlined by a strawweight rematch between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba) is another card loaded with fights lacking in jeopardy and unlikely to have any telling effect on the title picture in any of the UFC weight divisions.
With that in mind, letâs look at five of the more underwhelming main events the UFC have offered up so far in 2024.
Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov, UFC Fight Night, February 3 (UFC Apex)
The UFCâ had a somewhat slow start to 2024. January brought us an underwhelming Fight Night card followed by a PPV event in Canada that lacked star names outside of the main event between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. Coming into February, UFC fans were desperately in need of some high-stakes entertainment.
The Apex middleweight showdown between Dolidze and Imavov was not it. A main card entirely devoid of ranked fighters (outside of the main event) offered up one draw and four decisions, with only Randy Brownâs first-round knockout of Muslim Salikhov managing to give viewers something to get them out of their seats.
https://youtu.be/Z6OLxve-G2Q?si=qRqf4ZqaM6mSHNkG
Both main event fighters came into this event in stuttering form. Dolidze hadnât been seen in competitive action since losing to Marvin Vettori eleven months earlier, while Imavov was coming off the back of a difficult 2023. A decision loss to Sean Strickland early in the year was followed by his summer bout with Chris Curtis being declared a âno contestâ after an accidental clash of heads.
A majority decision victory for Nassourdine Imavov after twenty-five less-than-inspiring minutes followed. Both fighters picked up victories last month and seem to be rising through the ranks at 185lbs, but their clash at the Apex last February is not one that will live long in the memory of many UFC fans.
Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer, UFC Fight Night, February 10 (UFC Apex)
A week later, with UFC 298 on the horizon and the MMA news cycle being dominated by the build-up to Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria, fans were treated to another Apex event with a middleweight headliner. This time, admittedly, there was a little more intrigue surrounding the headline match-up as Joe Pyfer was coming off the back of an unbeaten start to his UFC career. âBodybagzâ had won all three of his fights inside the Octagon to that point, and finishes over Alen Amedovski, Gerald Meerschaert and Abdul Razak Alhassan had earmarked the 26-year-old as a fighter worth keeping an eye on.
Jack Hermansson looked like he was being positioned as the man to give up his place in the rankings to Pyfer. The Swede was returning from a year-long absence due to injury and had lost three of his previous five bouts at 185lbs. Against the odds, however, Hermansson derailed the Pyfer hype train and, after a strong opening two rounds from Pyfer, âThe Jokerâ picked off his opponent from range over the remainder of the fight and walked away with a 48-47 scorecard from each of the three judges.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev, UFC Fight Night, March 2 (UFC Apex)
UFC 298 and the Fight Night that was held in Mexico City a week later gave fans a reminder of how good the atmosphere can be when big crowds and exciting fights are paired together. Ilia Topuriaâs title victory in Anaheim, California followed by Brandon Royvalâs win over Brandon Moreno the following week meant February had itsâ fair share of entertainment inside the Octagon.
Fans were brought back down to earth with a bang on March 2nd however, as perennial heavyweight gatekeeper Jairzinho Rozenstruik was paired with Shamil Gaziev. Although Gaziev came into this event unbeaten at 12-0, the Bahraini fighter had only made one appearance inside the Octagon so far and many fans seemed perplexed at his positioning in the headline slot of a UFC event so soon.
Image: Jairzinho Rozenstruik IG
The gulf in class was evident as Gaziev was utterly dominated by âBigi Boyâ from the off. After four one-sided rounds, a bruised and battered Gaziev was deemed unfit to continue following an inspection by referee Marc Goddard. Not only did Gaziev pick up the first loss of his professional career, his positioning in the main event slot so soon after signing with the UFC drew plenty of criticism from fans and fighters alike.
Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura, UFC Fight Night, March 16 (UFC Apex)
Just two weeks later, in the wake of UFC 299, the ânew normalâ resumed in the UFC Apex as heavyweights Marcin Tybura and Tai Tuivasa collided in the main event of an event that featured such names as Ange Loosa, Isaac Dulgarian and Brian Battle on the main card.
https://youtu.be/AAzOlhvQaNs?si=t5np0uJB0GkpTjjY
Tyburaâs first-round submission victory would be his eighth win in ten fights helping the Polish fighter break into the top ten of the UFCâs heavyweight rankings. His opponent however was riding a three-fight losing streak coming into this bout and with the Australian taking significant damage in his defeats to Cyril Gane, Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich, the discussion among the MMA community in the wake of this defeat centred around whether or not âBam Bamâ should retire.
As it would turn out, Tybura made quick work of Tuivasa and the fight didn’t even see two minutes of action. Another underwhelming main event into the books, then.
Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento, UFC Fight Night, May 11 (St. Louis)
April brought fight fans one of the most memorable fight cards in the history of the sport. UFC 300 was packed from top to bottom with current or former champions, and the knockouts delivered by Alex Pereira and Max Holloway during the main card will go down in history as two of the most exciting finishes inside the Octagon.
Lewis knocked out Nascimento in the main event but the fight failed to cause a ripple in the heavyweight rankings. âThe Black Beastâ had lost four of his previous six fights and is unlikely to enter the heavyweight title discussion anytime soon, while Nascimento had won three consecutive split-decision victories over unranked opponents prior to facing Lewis.
https://youtu.be/v5V07FuNqMw?si=CRsNMTozbW_T7h2r
It seems in the modern world of the UFC, for every title fight or number-one contender match-up fans are granted, they are doomed to sit through multiple filler events behind closed doors at the UFC Apex.
UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson has spoken out on social media for the first time since his decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC Vegas 47.
Hermansson got out-paced and out-struck from start to finish against Strickland. He had issues getting the fight to the ground and dealing with Strickland’s clean boxing techniques.
Hermansson has traded wins and losses over his last five fights and entered UFC Vegas 47 off of an impressive win over Edmen Shahbazyan. However, he was unable to replicate his earlier success and suffered a setback in his pursuit of a middleweight title shot.
The day after the event, Hermansson addressed his fans and Strickland in an Instagram post.
“I’m sorry fans, about tonight,” Hermansson said. “I had a bad performance, and I lost the fight. It wasn’t pretty, or technically sound. I could get the bastard to the ground. Sorry Sean this one went to a decision. Best of luck to murder your next competition.”
Hermansson is one of the few top middleweight contenders who hasn’t fought middleweight champion Israel Adesanya yet. He had an outside chance of potentially receiving the next title shot if he was able to get past Strickland.
At 33 years old, Hermansson still has plenty of time to potentially get on a winning streak and earn an elusive title shot. But he’ll need to bounce back in a big way against his next opponent.
What do you think should be next for Jack Hermansson?
The weigh-in results for UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hermansson (UFC Vegas 47) have wrapped up, and we’ve got the scoop for you below.
The second UFC Fight Night event of 2022 takes place tomorrow night in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada, inside the UFC APEX. All fights on the card will proceed as follows, although Steven Peterson missed weight by three pounds ahead of his featherweight bout against “Juicy” Julian Erosa. As a result, Peterson will be fined 30% of his fight purse.
The main event will see Sean Strickland try to inch closer to title contention when he takes on Jack Hermansson. Strickland has continued to make headlines during fight week, such as taking a stab at clarifying previous remarks about homosexuals and offering to do “the man dance” with Kevin Holland. But the bulk of his attention is no doubt placed on the Joker right in front of him.
Strickland and Hermansson have contrasting game plans heading into tomorrow night’s bout. Hermansson simply looks to hit and make it quick. Meanwhile, Stickland is intending to enjoy every moment of taking Hermansson’s soul while making him bleed. Both things cannot take place, but we’ll see what happens when these warriors and their visions meet in the middle tomorrow night.
Aside from sharing his graphic prediction for tomorrow night, Strickland has also predicted that he will continue his outspokenness if he is to be booked against Israel Adesanya in a world title fight. Should he reach this point, he claims he will talk about Adesanya’s “titty” during the pre-fight buildup.
Jack Hermansson doesn’t expect for it to come to that, however, as he will look to do what he claims many have asked him to do: put this wildman down when they meet tomorrow night.
Below, you can check out the faceoff between tomorrow night’s headliners.
A MW main event with đŽđšđșđșđ°đœđŹ implications âïž@JackTheJokerMMA takes on @SStricklandMMA TOMORROW NIGHT!
You can check out the UFC’s fight-by-fight preview for tomorrow night’s UFC Vegas 47 card right here and get caught up on all the stats and storylines! Below, you can peep the full weigh-in results and viewing information, courtesy of UFC.com.
Main Card (7 PM ET, ESPN+)
Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Jack Hermansson (185.5) vs Sean Strickland (185.5)
Co-Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Punahele Soriano (185) vs Nick Maximov (185)
Welterweight Bout: Shavkat Rakhmonov (170.5) vs Carlston Harris (169.0)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Sam Alvey (205) vs Brendan Allen (205)
Middleweight Bout: Tresean Gore (186) vs Bryan Battle (185.5)
Featherweight Bout: Julian Erosa (145.5) vs Steven Peterson (*149)
Preliminary Card (4 PM ET, ESPN+)
Bantamweight Bout: Miles Johns (135.5) vs John Castaneda (136)
Featherweight Bout: Hakeem Dawodu (146) vs Michael Trizano (145.5)
Middleweight Bout: Chidi Njokuani (185) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (184.5)
Womenâs Bantamweight Bout: Alexis Davis (135) vs Julija Stoliarenko (135.5)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Almeida (203) vs Danilo Marques (205.5)
Welterweight Bout: Jason Witt (171.5) vs Phil Rowe (170.5)
Flyweight Bout: Malcolm Gordon (126) Denys Bondar (125)
Be sure to visit MMANews.com tomorrow night for live coverage, results, and highlights of UFC Vegas 47!
UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson says he’s never received more messages of support before a fight than he has ahead of his main event clash with Sean Strickland this weekend.
Having fallen short of doing so in a headliner versus Marvin Vettori in late 2020, “The Joker” got back on track last May with a comfortable decision triumph over the once-highly-touted prospect Edmen Shahbazyan. Since then, Hermansson has been watching matchups unfold and waiting for his next foe.
With Strickland’s antics, which have split opinions among fans, pundits, and fighters, it’s no surprise a portion of the MMA community want to see the #7-ranked middleweight beaten. That sentiment has apparently been clear in the DMs of Hermansson.
During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, the 33-year-old claimed the wave of support and backing he’s received ahead of his contest with Strickland is like nothing he’s experienced before in the UFC.
“I was actually suggesting Sean Strickland (as an opponent),” said Hermansson. “Because he’s ranked one behind me, and he’s on a good win streak. I think he’s undefeated in the middleweight division, and he has some hype right now… He’s a little bit different [LAUGHS].
“I’ve seen (his interviews) and he’s a funny character. Some things he says might be over the line. But what I do know is that I have never faced an opponent where so many people are messaging me, writing to me, like, ‘Man, kill this dude! You have to win this!’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m always trying to win fights.’ People wanna see him go down, that’s for sure,” concluded Hermansson.
So I ran into my opponent.. I'm a idiot and I spar leading up to the fight so I see this guy and he watching me limp out of the gym sore and tired with a black eye and hunched over like a old man.. fuck lol!! Nothing about that was scary.. oh well lol…
While the pair may differ in their fight week, social media, and interview attitudes, one thing they have in common is their talent and toughness when the cage door shuts. They’ll both look to put that on full display come Saturday night.
Who do you think will have their hand raised in the UFC Vegas 47 main event, Jack Hermansson or Sean Strickland?
UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson isn’t sure what to completely make of Sean Strickland’s antics ahead of their matchup at UFC Vegas 47.
Hermansson is looking to move one step closer to a potential title shot if he can get past Strickland this weekend. However, Strickland presents unique challenges inside and outside of the cage.
Strickland has emerged as one of the most controversial figures in the UFC today and is seen by some as the ‘middleweight Colby Covington’ with some of his comments. He doesn’t care how people perceive him on social media or with his unusual post-fight interviews.
Hermansson has never been one to engage in trash talk and often lets his solid grappling base do the talking for him. During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hermansson gave his thoughts on Strickland’s persona.
“A mix, maybe,” Hermansson said. “I think he’s probably a pretty nice guy. I think he’s a pretty nice guy. But then, just from who he is as a person, and it might be his own character, not somebody else’s, it’s just who he is, he’s very unfiltered. I tend to think a little bit before I speak, and I don’t think he does that [LAUGHS]. “
Despite his controversial views, Strickland has been on fire since moving from welterweight to middleweight. He’s won five straight over the likes of Uriah Hall, Krzysztof Jotko, and Brendan Allen since the move to 185.
Hermansson has been a mainstay in the UFC middleweight title picture but has yet to earn a shot at the belt. He’s previously called himself the toughest matchup for Israel Adesanya and will look to support that claim this weekend.
What’s your prediction for Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland?
UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson is hoping to avoid a long night at UFC Vegas 47 by finishing Sean Strickland inside the opening two rounds.
For the third time in as many bouts, Hermansson will be fighting down the rankings on February 5. After a memorable first-round submission win against Kelvin Gastelum shot him into title contention in 2020, a main event loss to then-rising contender Marvin Vettori stalled his championship aspirations.
Ahead of his return to the Octagon, Hermansson spoke to MMA News about the threat “Tarzan” poses, his experience wrestling Khamzat Chimaev in 2021, Francis Ngannou’s ongoing contractual dispute with the UFC, and his thoughts on the upcoming 185-pound title fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
Hermansson Looks To Avoid “Grueling” Fight
In Hermansson’s way of staking a claim for a championship opportunity is Strickland, a unique, and perhaps downright bizarre, individual. But whether fans love his carefree attitude or look down at his outspoken personality, no one can deny his fighting ability.
Since returning from the Octagon in 2020 after two years on the sidelines, “Tarzan” has been at his best. After getting back on track with wins against Nordine Taleb and Jack Marshman, the 30-year-old recorded victories over highly-touted prospect Brendan Allen and middleweight mainstay Krzysztof Jotko.
With his opponent’s form and durability in mind, Hermansson is hoping to end things quick come fight night. The Swedish-born Norwegian told MMA News he’s targeting a first or second-round finish when he goes toe-to-toe with Strickland inside Las Vegas’ Apex facility.
To do so, the game plan is simple: hit him.
“You know, I don’t want a hard, tough, long, grueling fight with Sean, even though I know that’s a possibility,” Hermansson told James Lynch. “I want a quick, nice finish and that’s how I envision the fight (going). So, I’m gonna go in there, I’m gonna be precise, and I’m gonna hit him and make it a quick night. First or second-round finish.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZH1SWBvdk2/
If Hermansson is to ascend closer to a date with the champion, he’ll have to join an exclusive club that currently boasts only reigning welterweight king Kamaru Usman, 28-5 UFC vet Santiago Ponzinibbio, and knockout machine Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
That club? The group of fighters who have managed to have their hand raised against “Tarzan.”
Given only three have managed it in Strickland’s 27 professional fights, Hermansson will certainly have to be at his best to get the job done on Saturday night.
Who do you think will have their hand raised in the UFC Vegas 47 main event, Jack Hermansson or Sean Strickland?
Sean Strickland has intense emotions about his upcoming main event fight against Jack Hermansson.
Stricklandâs fight against Hermansson is still two months out, but he already has intense emotions about how the bout could play out. The rising middleweight contender said recently that when he meets Hermansson in UFCâs February 5th headliner, he hopes to âtake everythingâ from Hermansson, including his âsoul.â
The ranked middleweight mentioned his violent plans in a recent interview.
âI think itâs going to be a kickboxing match. I think weâre going to stand and bang. Obviously, itâs a fight, anything happens, but like the fourth round I want to f*cking take his soul,â Strickland said to MMA Junkie.âI want to take everything from him. I want to watch him bleed. I want to watch him hurt. The fourth round I really just want to f*cking put it on him.â
Jack Hermansson Provides Big Challenge For Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland
While confident in his words and planning to bring violence, Strickland undoubtedly has a big challenge ahead of him, as Hermansson is a tough contender in his own right.
Hermansson has won three of his last five bouts. His recent losses have come against big names in the division like Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. His last appearance was in May, where he beat prospect Edmen Shahbazyan on the judges’ scorecards.
A win for Strickland will continue his quick and successful rise up the 185-pound division. Strickland won his first UFC main event in July, defeating Uriah Hall on scorecards. The fight was his fourth victory since returning in the fall of 2020.
Strickland envisions a victory next year, potentially setting him up for a fight against the UFC middleweight champion. He expects the result of his fight, along with an upcoming clash between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier, to determine who is next in line for champion Israel Adesanya.
Who is your pick for the early February main event? Sean Strickland or Jack Hermansson?
Top-10 middleweights Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland are set to collide in the main event of the February 5 UFC Fight Night event.
The news of this middleweight clash was first reported by ESPN on Friday. The bout has been verbally agreed to by both parties and contracts should be signed shortly.
Both Hermansson and Strickland are coming off wins. Hermansson (#6) defeated Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision in May but has had mixed results in his most recent fights, going 2-2 in his last four bouts. Hermansson has also kept himself busy by engaging in a wrestling matchup with welterweight Khamzat Chimaev.
The last time Hermansson main-evented a UFC card, he took home Fight of the Night against Marvin Vettori. Hermansson came out on the losing end of that contest and will certainly look to have a different outcome as he returns to the main event spotlight in February.
Sean Strickland (#7) has been searching for a new opponent ever since his bout with Luke Rockhold fell apart. Strickland and Rockhold were engaged in some very heated trash talk that was expected to culminate at UFC 268 in November. Unfortunately, Rockhold had to withdraw from the bout.
