Jack Hermansson apologizes following "a bad performance", wishes Sean Strickland to "murder" his next competition

Jack Hermansson [left], Sean Strickland [right]

Jack Hermansson has sent a heartfelt apology to his fans after losing to Sean Strickland.

Middleweight contenders Sean Strickland and Jack Hermansson needed 25 minutes to determine the better fighter. Relying on his stand-up game, Strickland outpointed Hermansson and was declared the winner via a split decision.

Leading up to the fight, the pair had a gentlemen's agreement that they would not take the fight to the ground. However, Hermansson decided to swoop in for a couple of takedowns but to no avail. In the end, Strickland's striking prevailed and handed 'The Joker' his fifth loss under the UFC banner.

The Joker broke the gentleman's agreement of no takedowns! 😂 #UFCVegas47 https://t.co/2rj95M2BSc

Reflecting on his defeat, Hermansson posted a short poem on Instagram to summarize his "bad performance". He also wished Strickland the "best of luck" in dismantling his next opponent:

"I'm sorry fans, about tonight. I had a bad performance, and I lost the fight. It wasn't pretty, or technically sound. I couldn't get the bastard to the ground. Sorry Sean [Strickland] this one went to a decision. Best of luck to murder your next competition"

View this post on Instagram

Instagram Post

Sean Strickland feels the same about his performance

Despite registering his sixth UFC win in a row, Sean Strickland is well aware that it wasn't his best performance. In fact, the official scorecards stated that rounds 1 and 3 against Hermansson were the only rounds 'Tarzan' has lost since his return to the 185-pound weight class. In simple terms, it was an underwhelming performance from the 30-year-old American.

Sean Strickland continues his middleweight climb, defeats Jack Hermansson at #UFCVegas47 espn.com/mma/story/_/id…

Like Hermansson, Strickland also apologized to his fans during his octagon interview. According to the Anaheim native, he was "being a pansy" for the most part and had probably let the "pressure" get to him at one point:

“I’m sorry guys. I was being a pansy. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown. Maybe I let the pressure get to me. I was fighting like a b****. I think I just let the win bonus get the better of me. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown more.”

Watch Strickland's full octagon interview below: