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Tag: UFC Vegas 47

  • Rakhmonov Targets Pereira Following UFC Vegas 47 Knockout

    UFC welterweight prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov is targeting a clash with the unorthodox Michel Pereira next.

    Rakhmonov returned to action this past weekend at UFC Vegas 47 for his third Octagon outing. Having arrived on MMA’s biggest stage as a highly touted 13-0 prospect, the Kazakhstani made a splash on debut by submitting divisional veteran Alex Oliveira inside one round at UFC 254 in 2020.

    After submitting Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Michel Prazeres in his sophomore appearance last June, Rakhmonov was presented with the challenge of Carlston Harris for his opening fight of 2022.

    Venturing away from his imposing submission game, the 27-year-old put his knockout power and striking ability on full display inside Las Vegas’ Apex facility. After flooring his Guyanese opponent with a spinning hook kick, Rakhmonov swarmed Harris on the ground and knocked him out with some brutal ground-and-pound.

    Rakhmonov Hopes To Add Another Brazilian To His Record

    Having defeated two Brazilian natives and a longtime Brazilian resident fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rakhmonov is hoping to continue his decimation of the country’s welterweights in his next outing.

    At the UFC Vegas 47 post-fight press conference, Rakhmonov called out a name not many seek to face, Michel Pereira. Having seen his Sanford MMA teammate Andre Fialho beaten by the Marabá native, “Nomad” wants his hands on “Demolidor” next.

    “If you’re asking about who (is next), let’s give me Michel Pereira. He fought with my teammate Andre Fialho, so I want to fight with him.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

    Pereira’s victory over Fialho at UFC 270 extends his win streak to four. Prior to his triumph over the Portuguese striker, the 28-year-old took home decision victories over Niko Price and Khaos Williams and submitted Zelim Imadaev. He was also well on his way to a triumph against Diego Sanchez before an illegal knee led to his disqualification.

    If this matchup comes to fruition, on one side we’d have one of the most entertaining and unique fighters on the UFC roster, and on the other, one of the most highly-touted rising prospects in the promotion.

    While Rakhmonov is undoubtedly one to watch moving forward, a victory over an established name like Pereira would certainly accelerate him towards the top.

    Would you like to see Shavkat Rakhmonov face Michel Pereira next?

  • Jack Hermansson Speaks Out On Sean Strickland Loss: “It Wasn’t Pretty”

    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.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZoVERBudoQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    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.

    Hermansson has previously claimed that he feels he’s the toughest matchup for Adesanya. Now, his loss to Strickland will surely put him back on the outside looking into the title picture.

    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?

  • Sam Alvey Speaks Out On UFC Vegas 47 Loss, UFC Future

    UFC veteran Sam Alvey isn’t done fighting despite a disappointing loss to short-notice replacement Brendan Allen at UFC Vegas 47.

    Alvey’s loss to Allen came via submission in Round 2. He had some moments early in the fight on the feet, but Allen was able to put a torrid pace on him and eventually secure the rear-naked choke for the win.

    Alvey, who promised never to lose again following a 2018 defeat to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, has now gone winless over his last eight fights. His last win came against Gian Villante at UFC Fight Night 131 via split decision.

    Following his loss to Allen, many speculated that Alvey’s retirement announcement could be inevitable. But during a recent video on his TikTok page, Alvey sounded optimistic regarding his fighting future.

    “Hey guys, I’m fresh off my UFC fight and as I’m sure a lot of you saw, I did not — I didn’t get it done,” Alvey said. “I’ve lost a step. Something needs to change and I’m gonna make the correction.

    “I’m not done fighting but I love this sport and you know what? God has blessed me. God, I raise God’s name on a high. I would not have the career I’ve had without him and I really have had a good career. I’ve had a long career.

    “I’ve had — shoot, that was my 23rd fight in the UFC. I’ve had a career that people dream of. I’m not done fighting but I know I need to take a little bit of a hiatus.

    “My YouTube channel, I’m gonna really push that. I wanna help coach, I wanna help coach you guys. If you have questions, if you wanna learn from me, if you wanna teach me, follow me on there, follow me here. I’m gonna keep pushing. I wanna help others win, I’m winning again too.

    “I’m not done. I love you guys.” (h/t BJPenn)

    Alvey has a history of staying positive and outspoken following his losses. However, it’s clear that he feels especially defeated by this latest setback at UFC Vegas 47.

    Alvey made his debut with the UFC back in 2014, losing to Tom Watson before winning three-straight. He would go on to compete against the top middleweights in the promotion, earning wins over the likes of former UFC champion Rashad Evans and former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt.

    It’s unclear what Alvey’s UFC future holds, but he seems optimistic regarding a return to the cage to get his first win in nearly four years.

    What do you think Sam Alvey should do next?

  • Strickland Allowed ‘Folks In Suits’ To Affect UFC Vegas 47 Performance

    Even though he got his hand raised at UFC 47 last night, Sean Strickland did not live up to his own standards of bloodshed and violence, and he’s putting a portion of the blame on some fancypants folks in suits.

    Sure, Sean Strickland was able to pick up his sixth consecutive victory, which at this level is always something to be proud of. However, Strickland didn’t feel much like celebrating after defeating Jack Hermansson in the UFC Vegas 47 main event.

    This is due to his game plan of taking Hermansson’s soul and leaving him bloody not coming to fruition. Instead, MMA’s verbal wildman played it safe and conservative in the cage, fighting like a “pussy” as he described it in his Octagon interview.

    Although Strickland did not shy away from taking the lion’s share of the blame for what he considered to be an underwhelming victory, he also thinks the pressure from outside sources played a role in his performance. Specifically, he cited anonymous folks in suits who got in his head.

    “I mean, none of you guys wear suits, so I can’t say this to you guys. You guys all look like common folk,” Strickland said when addressing reporters in the post-fight press conference. “But I get a lot of fancy fuckers who wear suits, and they come up to me and they start talking about title fights and things of that nature. You hear that all the time and you start thinking, ‘Do I really want to risk getting knocked out when I could go for a title fight?’ So I let the fancy folk in the suits throw me off a little bit, but it won’t happen again.”

    Strickland’s description of events sounds like something straight out of a Men in Black movie, with one of the suits flashing the neuralyzer in Strickland’s face, prompting him to forget his gory ways.

    In any event, a W is a W, and it can’t be denied that “Tarzan” is now one step closer to a title shot and an opportunity at a bloody redemption in front of an even wider audience.

    Do you believe Sean Strickland should be next in line for a welterweight title shot?

  • UFC Vegas 47 Bonuses: Four Fighters Nab Performance Checks

    The UFC Vegas 47 bonuses have been released.

    The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a middleweight clash between Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland. This fight didn’t have the ingredients of a great fight if not even a good fight. 

    It was lacking pace with Jack not being able to get takedowns as he would like and couldn’t find his range. Sean was finding a home for his jabs throughout it and looked fresh throughout the entire fight without taking damage. Sean was doing a good job of keeping up on the scorecards, but for a guy who is trying to make a title run, he didn’t do anything to be memorable. Strickland got the win by decision. 

    The co-main event saw more action between Punahele Soriano and Nick Maximov. It went the distance as the first round saw Soriano caught him with a big knee strike to the jaw, but Nick went for a takedown and failed to get it. He did jump on Soriano’s back to go for a choke, but didn’t get it. 

    In the second round, Nick continued to work for takedowns and got them, but he couldn’t keep him there. Moving along to the third round, Nick got a takedown and kept him there for the remainder of the fight to get the decision win. 

    Peep the full list of performance bonus winners below.

    Fight of the Night: Julian Erosa vs. Steven Peterson

    Performance of the night: Shavkat Rakhmanov and Chidi Njokuani 

    Were the right choices made for the UFC Vegas 47 bonuses?

    UFC Vegas 47 Results & Highlights: Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland

    MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 47. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.

  • Fighters React To Sean Strickland Outlasting Jack Hermansson At UFC Vegas 47

    Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland was a solid main event. 

    The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (February 5, 2022) at the UFC Vegas 47 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.

    The fight opened with Jack going for a takedown, but it was shut down and they clinched. For the rest of the first round, Jack was looking to counter strike while Strickland was landing his jabs and finding a home for him. Sean dropped him as the second round ended. 

    The third round saw Jack start to come alive as he was starting to land more shots. Hermansson started off the round with a takedown attempt, but couldn’t get him down. He had issues with his range and couldn’t get it down so he was missing on a lot of shots. Sean was bleeding from his nose at the end of the fourth round. The last round saw them continue to strike aside from Jack going for a takedown attempt, but not getting it. Strickland got the win by decision. 

    Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:

    Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight: 

    Hermansson was coming off a decision loss to Marvin Vettori at UFC Vegas 16. Before that, he had scored a submission win over Kelvin Gastelum at the UFC on ESPN+ 30 event from Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island aka Fight Island. He had suffered a TKO loss to Jared Cannonier at the UFC Copenhagen event from the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark. He scored a decision win over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC Fort Lauderdale This is where he stepped in on short notice to defeat the Brazilian. 

    Strickland entered this fight on a five-bout winning streak with wins over Nordine Taleb, Jack Marshman, Brendan Allen, Krzysztof Jotko, and most recently Uriah Hall by decision at UFC Vegas 33.

    UFC Vegas 47 Results & Highlights: Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland

    MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 47. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.

  • Fighters React To Nick Maximov Outgrappling Punahele Soriano At UFC Vegas 47

    Punahele Soriano vs. Nick Maximov was a solid co-headliner. 

    The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (February 5, 2022) at the UFC Vegas 47 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.

    The first round saw them land some big shots before Soriano caught him with a big knee strike to the jaw. Maximov failed on a takedown attempt so they scrambled back up until Maximov jumped on his back and went for a rear-naked choke, but quickly gave up on it. 

    In the second frame, it was the same story on repeat as Maximov would get him down, but Soriano would scramble back to his feet and so on and so on. However, towards the end of the round, Maximov did a better job of keeping him there. 

    The third round saw Maximov score a takedown and kept him there for the rest of it. Maximov got the decision win. 

    Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight: 

    https://twitter.com/Actionman513/status/1490148988548304898

    UFC Vegas 47 Results & Highlights: Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland

    MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 47. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.

  • UFC Vegas 47 Results & Highlights: Sean Strickland def. Jack Hermansson

    UFC Vegas 48 went down tonight (Sat. February 5, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility and we have the results. The world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion compiled an excellent card for fight fans to enjoy. 

    It was headlined by a meeting between Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland in a middleweight bout. 

    Punahele Soriano and Nick Maximov, Julian Erosa vs. Steven Peterson, Tresean Gore vs. Bryan Battle, Sam Alvey vs. Brendan Allen, and Shavkat Rakhmanov vs. Carlston Harris finished out the main card. 

    It was certain to have a great night of fights. Check out MMA News’ UFC Vegas 47 results below:

    Julian Erosa vs. Steven Peterson

    They clinched early on before having a feeling out process with some shots thrown. Erosa landed some big strikes up against the fence. They started letting their hands go towards the end of the round. 

    In round 2, Peterson had a bloody nose and was cracked to start the round. Erosa went for a takedown, but was stuffed. Erosa started to light him up in the middle of the round. Erosa dropped him with a hook, but Petterson was firing right back. 

    The third round saw Erosa get a takedown into guard, but Petterson locked in a guillotine choke, but Erosa got out of it. They got back to their feet and continued landing big shots. Erosa got a late round takedown. Erosa got the decision win. 

    Tresean Gore vs. Bryan Battle

    They were doing a lot of leg kicks to start off the first round. There was some confusion to end the round as a mouthpiece fell out and they were talking trash. 

    Battle got caught with a hook in the second round. Battle dropped his mouthpiece and there was a pause in the action. He fired back with kicks. Gore cracked him again and Battle tried to clinch, but that didn’t work. Gore went for a guillotine choke, but Battle fell down and they did some grappling. 

    The start of the third round saw Battle’s eye swell up badly. Battle did some clinching up against the fence, but Gore separated and landed a combo. Gore walked away with the decision win. 

    Sam Alvey vs. Brendan Allen

    The first round opened with Allen going for a takedown, but stuffed. Alvey started to let his hands go, but Allen was still throwing kicks. 

    The second round saw Allen drop Alvey with a left hand. After a scramble, Allen got his back and locked in the rear-naked choke for the win. 

    Shavkat Rakhmanov vs. Carlston Harris

    They did some clinching up against the fence for most of the first round. Rakhmanov got a takedown and tried to get on top, but Harris scrambled to his feet. Rakhmanov dropped him with a spinning wheel kick then finished him on the ground with strikes. 

    Punahele Soriano vs. Nick Maximov

    They came out swinging. Soriano caught him with a big knee strike to the jaw. Nick went for a takedown, but couldn’t get it. They scrambled to their feet then Nick got on his back while Soriano was standing and went for a neck crank. Nick let go of it and Soriano got him down while Nick was landing strikes. 

    The second round opened with Nick going for a takedown attempt, but stuffed and Soriano scrambled to his feet. Soriano landed some more shots, but Nick shot for a takedown and eventually got it, but not for long as Soriano went back to his feet. Nick went back to the takedown and kept him there. 

    The third round opened with Nick getting a takedown. Soriano was dealing with some type of injury as he was kept from getting up. 

    Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland

    After a brief feeling out process, Jack shot in for a takedown, but they ended up clinching against the fence before separating. Sean was landing his jabs nicely while Jack was looking to counterstrike. 

    The second round, Sean started to put together some combos. After going back and forth, Sean dropped him as the round ended. 

    In the third round, Jack rushed him for a takedown, but gave up. Jack had no answer for the jabs, but was throwing more leg kicks. 

    The fourth round continued with Jack going for a takedown to start it off. However, Sean stayed upright and got away from him. Jack was missing a lot of shots and never seemed to have his range down. 

    The fifth round, Sean had a bloody nose. Despite that, he kept up a solid defense in the striking game. Jack went for a takedown attempt, but it was stuffed. They traded to the bell. Strickland got the win by decision. 

    Quick UFC Vegas 47 Results

    PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

    • Flyweight bout: Malcolm Gordon def. Denys Bondar by submission (injury) at 1:22 of Round 1
    • Welterweight bout: Phil Rowe def. Jason Witt by TKO (punches) at 2:15 of Round 2
    • Light heavyweight bout: Jailton Almeida def. Danilo Marques by TKO (punches) at 2:57 of Round 1
    • Women’s bantamweight bout: Alexis Davis def. Julija Stoliarenko by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-27)
    • Middleweight bout: Chidi Njokuani def. Marc-Andre Barriault by knockout (punches) at :16 of Round 1
    • Featherweight bout: Hakeem Dawodu def. Mike Trizano by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Bantamweight bout: John Castaneda def. Miles Johns by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:38 of Round 3

    MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

    • Featherweight bout: Julian Erosa def. Steven Peterson by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Middleweight bout: Bryan Battle def. Tresean Gore by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Middleweight bout: Brendan Allen def. Sam Alvey by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:10 of Round 2
    • Welterweight bout: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Carlston Harris by knockout (punch) at 4:10 of Round 1
    • Middleweight bout: Nick Maximov def. Punahele Soriano by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
    • Middleweight bout: Sean Strickland defeats Jack Hermansson via split-decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)

  • Check Out Last-Minute Betting Odds For UFC Vegas 47

    The final UFC Vegas 47 betting odds are in for as this event is quickly approaching for the Las Vegas-based promotion. 

    The event is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, February 5, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.

    The headliner will feature a slugfest with Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland in a middleweight showdown. Moving things along, Shavkat Rakhmanov vs. Carlston Harris goes down in a fight. 

    Rounding out the main card is Julian Erosa vs. Steven Peterson, Tresean Gore vs. Bryan Battle, Sam Alvey vs. Brendan Allen, and Shavkat Rakhmanov vs. Carlston Harris.

    According to oddsmakers, is a – favorite over, who is a + underdog. Other odds for the main card include being a + underdog against, who is a – favorite. Here are the full betting odds: 

    MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

    Sean Strickland (-210) vs. Jack Hermansson (+175)

    Punahele Soriano (-190) vs. Nick Maximov (+160)

    Shavkat Rakhmonov (-240) vs. Carlston Harris (+195)

    Tresean Gore (-160) vs. Bryan Battle (+140)

    Julian Erosa (-300) vs. Steven Peterson (+235)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

    Miles Johns (-210) vs. John Castaneda (+175)

    Hakeem Dawodu (-170) vs. Mike Trizano (+150)

    Marc-Andre Barriault (-115) vs. Chidi Njokuani (-105)

    Alexis Davis (-225) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (+185)

    Jailton Almeida (-380) vs. Danilo Marques (+290)

    Philip Rowe (-140) vs. Jason Witt (+120)

    Denys Bondar (-240) vs. Malcolm Gordon (+195)

  • WATCH: UFC Vegas 47 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream

    The UFC Vegas 47 post-fight press conference will be live once the action concludes.

    In the headliner, Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland will collide in a middleweight clash. UFC Vegas 47’s co-main event will see a clash between Shavkat Rakhmanov and Carlston Harris. action will also be featured on the main card as Carlston Harris shares the Octagon with Shavkat Rakhmanov. 

    The fighters from both the main and co-main events are expected to attend the post-fight press conference barring any hospital visits. Of course anyone else on the card who has a breakout performance could also attend the presser.

    MMA News will be providing live coverage of the UFC Vegas 47 card. Be sure to check back here for the post-fight presser with a tentative start time of 10:15 p.m. ET.

    Let us know your big takeaways once the UFC Vegas 47 post-fight press conference.

  • UFC Vegas 47: Hermansson vs. Strickland Weigh-In Results & Preview

    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.

    Here is the faceoff between the co-main eventers Punahele Soriano (8-1) and the undefeated Nick Maximov (7-0).

    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)

    Women’s 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!

  • Jack Hermansson: Unfiltered Strickland Doesn’t Think Before He Speaks

    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?