Jack Hermansson says Alex Pereira is an easier opponent for 'everybody who wants to take the fight to the ground' (Exclusive)
Jack Hermansson has claimed that UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira is an easy matchup for any fighter who boasts good grappling proficiency.
Several UFC contenders, including now-retired fighter Luke Rockhold, have fancied their chances against the freshly crowned 185 lbs champion. They have accepted Pereira to be a much more desirable matchup compared to the former title holder Israel Adesanya, considering 'The Last Stylebender's mastery of distance management and crafty footwork.
Morning Report: Luke Rockhold return possible if Alex Pereira wins title: ‘Let’s get the free belt’ mmafighting.com/2022/9/28/2337…
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw, Jack Hermansson pointed out why he considers Pereira to be an easier matchup than Adesanya:
"He's [Alex Pereira] is an easier fight than Izzy for anybody who wants to take the fight to the ground. That's because Izzy is extremely skilled with his distance and footwork. I feel like Pereira is as dangerous in the standup as Izzy, but I do believe that Izzy is way harder to get to the ground and he's also more skilled than Pereira. So yeah, I would say that Pereira is an easier fight."
Watch our exclusive interview with Jack Hermansson below:
Jack Hermansson sees a fight with Khamzat Chimaev in his future
Jack Hermansson is all set to face Roman Dolidze at UFC Orlando this weekend after his originally slated fight with Derek Brunson fell apart.
After a rough stretch that included three wins and three losses, Hermansson was hoping to get back on track with a victory over top-ranked contender Derek Brunson. Instead, 'The Joker' is now set to face Dolidze, an unranked surging contender who holds five victories in his six fights under the UFC banner.
Derek Brunson is OUT vs Jack Hermansson.
the NEW fight is:
Jack Hermansson v. Roman Dolidze
UFC Orlando | Dec 3rd | 185 lbs
via @bokamotoESPN https://t.co/gNFMEFxoJN
A highly-accomplished grappler in the Greco-Roman wrestling discipline and a high-volume fighter, Hermansson has trained with undefeated welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev several times in the past. The pair squared off against each other in a freestyle wrestling match last November.
Speaking about fighting Chimaev in the aforementioned exclusive interview, Hermansson stated:
"He's [Chimaev] good and one of those huge names and he's performed really well inside the UFC. Yeah, I think we might fight one day, you know, he's good, I'm good and that puts us close to each other. It's a big chance to fight someday."
Watch the LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night - Thompson vs Holland on Sony Sports Ten 2 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 8:30 am IST on 4th December 2022.