Jack Hermansson: I’ll Ask UFC Who I Have To Beat For Title Shot
New UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson believes he definitely should be in the conversation for a title shot.
Hermansson shocked many when he defeated longtime contender Jacare Souza in the main event of UFC Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Hermansson, giving him a unanimous decision win over his toughest opponent yet.
It was all the more impressive considering he stepped in on short notice for Yoel Romero and had previously never competed in a five-round fight in the UFC.
However, “The Joker” wasn’t surprised by the victory at all.
Having claimed he would surprise Jacare on the ground before the fight, Hermansson landed three takedowns, hurt the Brazilian a number of times and never looked in serious trouble.
“I think a lot of people were sleeping on me,” Hermansson told reporters after the fight. “And people thought that I was just jumping into this fight and, you know, (that) I’d give it a shot and see if I could win.
“It wasn’t like that at all. I really believed that my skills were better than his, and I think I proved that tonight.”
Title Picture
Jacare didn’t want to take the fight without certain assurances. The UFC promised him a title shot if he defeated the Swede, but the same incentive was not offered to Hermansson.
Despite that, the 30-year-old certainly believes he should be in the title picture and plans on asking the UFC what his quickest route would be.
“I think they should be talking about me,” Hermansson explained. “When is Jack going to get a title shot? What do I have to do to get one? And that’s what I’m interested about. That’s what I’m going to ask the UFC. What do I have to do? Who do I have to beat? Is it that guy, is that guy? Give me that guy. I want to beat him and I want to get the title.
“I think me saving this card and taking this fight on short notice, I think I should get rewarded for that, as well. But I want to beat the best guys. When I get to that title, I want everybody, all of the fans, to really believe that I deserve it. Because, when I win the title, I want people to recognize me as the best fighter in the world and nothing less.”
