Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC Vegas 16 blew the roof off UFC APEX last Saturday night (Dec. 5, 2020) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds including Ovince Saint Preux, who was stopped by up-and-coming contender Jamahal Hill in the second round of their light heavyweight affair.
And Matt Wiman, who was knocked out cold by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) newcomer Jordan Leavitt with a vicious powerbomb slam (see it again here). But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the ESPN+ streamed show?
Jack Hermansson.
Coming into his headlining bout against Marvin Vettori, Hermansson had a golden opportunity to insert himself as the next challenger for the middleweight title. After all, the division lost a multiple-time championship contender in Yoel Romero, so the path to the big dance got a lot easier with “Soldier of God” out of the way.
At the very least, Hermansson could have set himself up for a No. 1 contender fight against former champion Robert Whittaker, while division kingpin Israel Adesanya prepares for his proposed move up to light heavyweight.
Instead, “The Joker” found himself on the losing end of a five-round decision after getting out-struck by Marvin Vettori in what proved to be a gritty headlining brawl. With the loss, Hermansson suffered his second setback in three fights, which will likely cost him a spot in the official rankings.
He also lost a few spots in the championship title race which; let’s face it, is a big deal because title opportunities don’t come around too often.
After the loss, “The Joker” reflected on his setback, his future and revealed a couple of injuries he suffered in defeat which will likely keep him out of commission for the foreseeable future.
“Broken toe and broken eye socket but not a broken spirit,” Hermansson wrote in an Instagram message. “The goal remains the same! Thank you for your support.”
It was very tough couple of weeks for “The Joker” after having his opponent switched on him twice after his original foe, Darren Till, was replaced by Kevin Holland after “The Gorilla” suffered an injury. Then Holland tested positive for COVID-19, giving Vettori got the nod and “The Italian Dream” made the most of his opportunity.
As for what’s next for “The Joker,” I still want to see him face off against Till because the loss doesn’t affect the intrigue. It also makes more sense than ever as both combatants are now coming off losses and in search of a big win to avoid digging themselves into a deeper hole.
Hermansson and Till are only separated by two spots in the official rankings, so no other opponent really makes sense for either man.
Unless you have a better idea?
For complete UFC Vegas 16 results and coverage click here.