Jack Hermansson calls for Khamzat Chimaev clash after UFC Vegas 86 win: ‘Of course I would fight him’
After a gritty victory over Joe Pyfer at UFC Vegas 86, Jack Hermansson is looking to continue his newly established momentum in 2024 by taking out some more top middleweight talent.
It was pretty obvious that Hermansson was playing gatekeeper at UFC Vegas 86. Pyfer is the new and exciting star, and no doubt the UFC brass probably hoped for another thrilling finish to add to the highlight reel of ‘Bodybagz’. Hermansson didn’t let it happen though. He weathered the storm that was the tenacious onslaught of Pyfer’s electric striking and slowly began to unravel his opponent.
As the fight wore on, Jack Hermansson seemed to be more and more firmly in control of the pace and direction of the matchup. He hammered the calf of Pyfer with brutal kicks and fed him a stinging jab. By the end of round five, there was no question as to who the victor was, and the judges awarded ‘The Joker’ the decision victory.
Jack Hermansson discusses his next potential opponents
During the post-fight interview, Hermansson opened up about who he’d like to face next: “I just watch the rankings and I fought a lot of guys up there,” Hermansson said (H/T MMA Fighting). “Obviously, I can’t come back with a fight with an unranked opponent and go direct to the top. I need to fight someone that’s closer to me in the rankings. I think [Imavov] makes the most sense at the moment.”
While Imavov is a solid choice, ‘The Joker’ was still later questioned about a potential fight with Khamzat Chimaev as well. “Of course, I’m willing to fight Khamzat,” Hermansson said. “I know there has been talk of him and [Jared] Cannonier and some of the other top names, so we’ll see what is happening. But I would be open for that fight [against Chimaev].”
Who would you like to see Jack Hermansson fight next?
