Tomorrow night in the headliner of UFC Vegas 47, we will see a pivotal matchup in the middleweight division. Top contenders will battle it out as “The Joker” Jack Hermansson (22-6) takes on the surging Sean Strickland (24-3).
A few years ago, Jack Hermansson was on the cusp of a UFC title shot. The Joker had won four straight fights and the UFC decided to reward him with a main event in his homeland of Sweden. The problem for him was that he took on Jared Cannonier that night and was stopped in the second round.
Starting with that fight, he’s 2-2 in his last four. The two losses came against Cannonier and former title challenger Marvin Vettori. We last saw Hermansson back in May when he defeated Edmen Shahbazyan by decision. He’s going to be looking for his second straight win tomorrow night.
Standing in his way will be the surging Sean Strickland. In late 2020, Strickland returned after nearly two years away due to a motorcycle accident. Strickland returned to the middleweight division and he’s been flawless since returning.
His competition level has been stepping up as well. In his last fight, the UFC gave him a five-round main event against Uriah Hall and Strickland was able to outstrike him. A win over Hermansson would be huge for Strickland’s standing in the division.
UFC Vegas 47 Prediction
When breaking down this fight, it’s pretty easy to tell the paths of victory. For Hermansson to win at UFC Vegas 47, he’s going to need to take advantage of the grappling. Hermansson is a wizard on the ground and he’s great a great top game.
If he’s able to get Strickland down and control him, I could see a dominant decision or submission victory coming to The Joker. However, that is far easier said than done. Strickland has proven that he’s tough to take down and he’s proven that he’s crisp on the feet.
If this fight stays standing at UFC Vegas 47, I really like Sean Strickland to get the win. I think this fight is going to be very close as I see Hermansson landing takedowns, but also losing the striking. Overall, I think Strickland is going to do just enough on the feet to take advantage of Hermansson’s poor striking defense and he’ll win a decision.
Prediction: Sean Strickland by Unanimous Decision