Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Surging middleweight contender Jack Hermansson will look to continue his divisional tear later today (Sat., Sept. 28, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 160 live on ESPN+ from inside Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, when he takes on dangerous knockout artist Jared Cannonier. The 185-pound affair will mark the second-straight main event spot for “Joker.”
Hermansson, who is coming off a masterful performance against veteran contender Ronaldo Souza back in April, is currently riding a four-fight win streak in the growing middleweight division. That recent string of success includes three finishes over proven fighters like David Branch and Gerald Meerschaert. It also includes a TKO victory over Brazilian veteran Thales Leites back in 2017.
That win over Leites, which can be seen in the above video player, might actually be the most impressive outing for Hermansson to date. Not only did “Joker” fight through an early submission scare but he had to muscle through a dislocated rib in order to drag Leites to deep water in the third round. That’s where Hermansson gained top control and unloaded heavy artillery until the referee stopped the bout.
It was quite the outing for the 31-year-old middleweight contender and it ultimately proved that Hermansson is a legit threat to the 185-pound throne. After all, how many guys are putting away a savvy veteran like Leites with a dislocated rib?
Only time will tell if “Joker” gets the last laugh later today at UFC Copenhagen. If he’s able to add Cannonier to his recent list of departed middleweights then it may be time to start talking about a title shot for Hermansson. No joking.