Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jack Hermansson
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It was a coming out party for Jack Hermansson on Saturday in Florida, as he racked up the striking numbers against an esteemed vet en route to one of the day's best fantasy performances.
With a victory over a late-notice replacement, Jacare Souza could very well be next in line for a middleweight title shot. Jon Litterine breaks down four key fights from Saturday's Sunrise card.
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Costly loss in Copenhagen
Hermansson lost to Jared Cannonier via TKO (punches) at 0:27 of Round 2 at UFC Copenhagen on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Both men came out with high energy early as if they had little awareness it was scheduled to be a five-round fight. Hermansson registered 20 significant strikes and a takedown in Round 1, but it was Cannonier that landed the harder shots, which included a huge uppercut, another quality counter and multiple leg kicks. In the second round, Hermansson ate another uppercut that had devastating consequences, as he was sent to the canvas and Cannonier immediately pounced. With his killer instinct evident, Cannonier used his fists and elbows to render Hermansson incapable of defending himself. There was no protest of the stoppage. Hermansson had put together a four-fight winning streak that had him on the verge of title contention, but he was defeated by a lower-ranked opponent, likely ending those aspirations. The 31-year-old will get back on track, but he seemingly ran into a fighter here that is right in the prime of his title run.
Both men came out with high energy early as if they had little awareness it was scheduled to be a five-round fight. Hermansson registered 20 significant strikes and a takedown in Round 1, but it was Cannonier that landed the harder shots, which included a huge uppercut, another quality counter and multiple leg kicks. In the second round, Hermansson ate another uppercut that had devastating consequences, as he was sent to the canvas and Cannonier immediately pounced. With his killer instinct evident, Cannonier used his fists and elbows to render Hermansson incapable of defending himself. There was no protest of the stoppage. Hermansson had put together a four-fight winning streak that had him on the verge of title contention, but he was defeated by a lower-ranked opponent, likely ending those aspirations. The 31-year-old will get back on track, but he seemingly ran into a fighter here that is right in the prime of his title run.
Draws Cannonier in Copenhagen
Hermansson is in line to take on Jared Cannonier in the main event of an ESPN+ card scheduled for Sept. 28 in Copenhagen, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
While this matchup won't do a ton for Hermansson's title aspirations, it appears verbal agreements are already in place according to both Okamoto and Cannonier's agent. This could simply be a case of a Sweden native wanting to get on the Copenhagen card by any means possible, which could very well be enough for "The Joker" to put his four-fight winning streak on the line. On paper, everything seems to lean in the direction of Hermansson. He has superior striking statistics in terms of both volume and defense, in addition to owning a much better wrestling pedigree. He'll also be the taller man when the Octagon doors closed, though both men own a 77-inch reach. Hermansson should be the betting favorite, but he has by far the most to lose in this fight. The winner will be knocking on the door for the next title shot at 185 pounds.
While this matchup won't do a ton for Hermansson's title aspirations, it appears verbal agreements are already in place according to both Okamoto and Cannonier's agent. This could simply be a case of a Sweden native wanting to get on the Copenhagen card by any means possible, which could very well be enough for "The Joker" to put his four-fight winning streak on the line. On paper, everything seems to lean in the direction of Hermansson. He has superior striking statistics in terms of both volume and defense, in addition to owning a much better wrestling pedigree. He'll also be the taller man when the Octagon doors closed, though both men own a 77-inch reach. Hermansson should be the betting favorite, but he has by far the most to lose in this fight. The winner will be knocking on the door for the next title shot at 185 pounds.
Upsets Jacare Souza in main event
Hermansson defeated Jacare Souza via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) at UFC Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Hermansson came out aggressive early and showed he wasn't afraid to go to the canvas with one of the highest-regarded BJJ practitioners in the sport today. He even had Jacare locked in a guillotine early, but Souza showed his skills and was able to escape. The second round was a dominant effort by Hermansson, who took Souza down and landed a high volume of strikes, finishing the frame in top position. It almost seemed as if Hermansson took the third round off in preparation for rounds four and five, as it was the only frame he clearly lost. "The Joker" picked the pace back up in the fourth round and continued to showcase superior striking ability. He held on in the final round that may have gone to Souza, but his body of work throughout the fight was more than convincing enough to earn the nod from the judges. Taking this fight on short notice against a title contender was no small ask, but the 30-year-old passed this test with flying colors. Hermansson showed impressive cardio with his high-volume striking throughout, in addition to an exceptional ground game that will stack up with the division's elite. He'll undoubtedly get another top-10 opponent his next time out, and may be only a win or two away from a title shot.
Hermansson came out aggressive early and showed he wasn't afraid to go to the canvas with one of the highest-regarded BJJ practitioners in the sport today. He even had Jacare locked in a guillotine early, but Souza showed his skills and was able to escape. The second round was a dominant effort by Hermansson, who took Souza down and landed a high volume of strikes, finishing the frame in top position. It almost seemed as if Hermansson took the third round off in preparation for rounds four and five, as it was the only frame he clearly lost. "The Joker" picked the pace back up in the fourth round and continued to showcase superior striking ability. He held on in the final round that may have gone to Souza, but his body of work throughout the fight was more than convincing enough to earn the nod from the judges. Taking this fight on short notice against a title contender was no small ask, but the 30-year-old passed this test with flying colors. Hermansson showed impressive cardio with his high-volume striking throughout, in addition to an exceptional ground game that will stack up with the division's elite. He'll undoubtedly get another top-10 opponent his next time out, and may be only a win or two away from a title shot.
Quick turnaround in Fort Lauderdale
Hermansson will take on Jacare Souza in a middleweight matchup at UFC Fort Lauderdale on April 27, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Hermansson made quick work of David Branch at UFC Philadelphia on March 30, which will allow him to accept a fight less than a month afterwards. He'll look to make it four in a row against Souza, who was originally scheduled to face Yoel Romero before Romero was forced to withdraw due to illness. Hermansson sports a respectable takedown defense of 73 percent, which should come in handy here, as the key to hanging with Souza is not letting the fight get to the mat. "The Joker" has been a fantasy-friendly fighter of late due to consecutive first-round stoppages and a solid rate of 4.90 significant strikes landed per minute. The problem is that Souza has been officially stopped just once in the past decade, so the hope will be that he has lost a step at the age of 39.
Hermansson made quick work of David Branch at UFC Philadelphia on March 30, which will allow him to accept a fight less than a month afterwards. He'll look to make it four in a row against Souza, who was originally scheduled to face Yoel Romero before Romero was forced to withdraw due to illness. Hermansson sports a respectable takedown defense of 73 percent, which should come in handy here, as the key to hanging with Souza is not letting the fight get to the mat. "The Joker" has been a fantasy-friendly fighter of late due to consecutive first-round stoppages and a solid rate of 4.90 significant strikes landed per minute. The problem is that Souza has been officially stopped just once in the past decade, so the hope will be that he has lost a step at the age of 39.
Submits David Branch in 50 seconds
Hermansson defeated David Branch via submission (guillotine) at 0:50 of Round 1 at UFC on ESPN 2 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
ANALYSIS
Easy work. Facing one of the biggest tests of his career, Hermansson passed with flying colors. His ability to drag a veteran like Branch to the mat and choke him out in under a minute was both shocking and impressive. It's no surprise the dominant effort earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Hermansson remains a relative unknown to casual MMA fans, but the UFC is going to have to give him a quality opponent his next time out. The 30-year-old is 5-1 in his last six fights dating back to May 2017 and his only setback in that span came against future title challenger Thiago Santos.
Easy work. Facing one of the biggest tests of his career, Hermansson passed with flying colors. His ability to drag a veteran like Branch to the mat and choke him out in under a minute was both shocking and impressive. It's no surprise the dominant effort earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Hermansson remains a relative unknown to casual MMA fans, but the UFC is going to have to give him a quality opponent his next time out. The 30-year-old is 5-1 in his last six fights dating back to May 2017 and his only setback in that span came against future title challenger Thiago Santos.