5 potential opponents for Jack Hermansson after latest setback
Jack Hermansson suffered a split decision loss to Sean Strickland on Saturday. Hermansson's form has been up and down as of late and despite the loss, he remains very much a factor at 185 lbs. 'The Joker's is 3-3 in his last six fights and It will be interesting to see who he will take on next.
Jack Hermansson apologized to his fans and opponent Sean Strickland after #UFCVegas47 https://t.co/09WuRl9mZx
Hermansson was coming into Saturday off the back of a solid victory over Edmen Shabazyan. Prior to that he lost to Marvin Vettori and before that defeated Kelvin Gastelum. These results show that while he is clearly a quality middleweight. However, he has struggled to break into the true elite of the division.
Given his recent loss, 'The Joker' is likely due a step down in competition next time out. Presumably, that will be against a lower-ranked opponent but it could even be against someone currently just outside the division's top 15.
With Hermansson's proven ability to bounce back from a loss and his all-around calm personality, you can expect him to be very dangerous the next time he enters the octagon.
With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for Jack Hermansson after his latest setback:
#5. Jack Hermansson vs. Alex Pereira
The man who holds two kickboxing victories over Israel Adesanya appears to be on a fast-track to the title. Alex Pereira will have a very tough bout next time out against Bruno Silva but should he win that, he will likely be ready for a ranked opponent.
UFC targets Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva for March 12 event mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/12/ufc-ta…
With Hermansson likely to fall further down those rankings in the wake of Saturday's loss, perhaps the two could meet in the middle. Pereira is an incredibly accomplished striker but if he is to pursue Adesanya and his title, he will have to prove he is able to get past tough grapplers like Hermansson.
While it would be a big step up in competition for Pereira, this is the type of fight he would have to win if he truly has title aspirations. For Hermansson, it would give him the opportunity to get back in the win column and prove he isn't quite done yet.