Jack Hermansson plans to prove he’s a legitimate contender in the middleweight division by emerging victorious in the UFC Vegas 86 main event.
On Saturday, February 10, Hermansson will return to the Octagon for the first time since suffering a loss against Roman Dolidze in December 2022. ‘The Joker’ won’t have time to ease into his bounce-back opportunity as he faces rising superstar Joe Pyfer, who’s secured two first-round knockouts in his three UFC fights.
Before attempting to defeat Pyfer for a much-needed win, Hermansson joined James Lynch for an exclusive interview with MiddleEasy. During their conversation, Hermansson had this to say about Dricus du Plessis defeating Sean Strickland to become the UFC middleweight champion:
“I watched the fight, and it’s one of those fights that they are so close, so if I’m not sitting there with a pen and paper, I’m not going to be able to tell who is the winner. So, I honestly didn’t know, and I didn’t have a big opinion on it. I thought that whoever gets it deserves it almost. MMA isn’t perfect on the judging. There is a few criteria, but if you ask ten different people, they will give you a different answer. I think it was a good fight though.”
Jack Hermansson reveals who he thinks could challenge Dricus du Plessis for UFC gold next
Jack Hermansson hasn’t fought since the UFC middleweight division drastically changed with Sean Strickland and now Dricus du Plessis becoming the champion. It’s unclear who Du Plessis’ first title defense will be against, as Strickland, Israel Adesanya, and Khamzat Chimaev are potential options. Meanwhile, Hermansson mentioned Paulo Costa as a potential option:
“Maybe if [Paulo] Costa wins that one [against Robert Whittaker], it would be pretty cool to see him against Dricus [du Plessis]. That would be a fun fight…[The rematch between Strickland and Du Plessis] would be alright as well. I think it was that close, so definitely could see a rematch there.”
Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker will fight in the UFC 298 co-main event on February 17, which goes down in Anaheim, California. Either fighter could put themselves in the title shot picture with a win, as the middleweight division has become wide open since Israel Adesanya was dethroned in September 2023.
Watch Jack Hermansson’s interview with MiddleEasy below:
