The stakes were clear in the main event of UFC Vegas 47 on Saturday. A win for Sean Strickland, and he would arrive among those at the very top of the middleweight division, just a fight or two away from a shot at the title. Perhaps even less.
For Jack Hermansson, who had flirted with title contention the past couple of years, a win would likely land him back in the top five, as close as ever.
What mattered most, arguably, was the performance the winner put on.
Jack Hermansson opened the action with a leg kick. Strickland worked his jab; Hermansson chopped away with an outside leg kick. “The Joker” then moved in for a takedown, driving Strickland back to the fence. Hermansson stayed on the attempt, going single leg, and nearly completed only for Strickland to show some impressive balance.
That brought the middleweight pair back to center. Hermansson fired a jab, connecting. Strickland answered back. They’d carry on through most of the round in this fashion.
In round two, Hermansson was a little more active with his footwork. Strickland continued to walk forward, and rely on his jab. About 90 seconds in, Hermansson changed levels, but Strickland avoided the takedown attempt with minimal effort. The Swedish fighter seemed to know the attempt was a bust, and bailed on it anyway.
A short time later, Hermansson pressed forward with a combination. Strickland double pumped his jab; Hermansson went to the body with a kick. Strickland would land to the body with a right hand; it appeared Hermansson had all but given up on takedown attempts. Instead, he punched his way forward, keeping his guard high.
Through two rounds, Strickland’s ability to stay upright, and his jab, were the story. At the same time, his offensive output outside of the jab was minimal, with Hermansson showing a more varied arsenal. Towards the end of the frame, Strickland began to open up, then sat Hermansson down with a right hand at the buzzer, though the Swede was more off-balance than hurt.
BIG DROP TO END THE ROUND! 😳
The #UFCVegas47 main event keeps rolling on @ESPNPlus. pic.twitter.com/Vzryv4MEbz
— UFC (@ufc) February 6, 2022
The third round had Jack Hermansson continuing to attack Strickland’s lead leg. He also worked to cut off the cage, and changed levels for another — failed — takedown attempt. Strickland went back to what had worked for him: methodically walking forward, pumping his jab, and slipping just out of range when Hermansson returned fire. Through three rounds, the fight had essentially been a kickboxing match, one which Sean Strickland was winning.
Round four opened with Hermansson walking forward and swinging early. He fired another low kick; however he wasn’t targeting the leg of Strickland enough for them to add up. About a minute in, Hermansson charged forward for a takedown attempt; the single leg attempt was stuffed, and Strickland moved back to center.
Out in the open, a right hand landed for Strickland; Hermansson, at distance, couldn’t seem to make much of anything happen. His attacks were increasingly wild, off-balance, or found him reaching. Strickland mixed in a front kick, and was setting the pace on top of all the other advantages he’d established. They’d finish the round exchanging at distance, as they had through so much of the fight to that point.
The final round opened similar to the fourth, with Hermansson again pressing forward, firing. He might, at that point, have been thinking about the finish. He’d no doubt need one, if he wanted to win the fight, but his wrestling had been stifled, and a knockout by the Swede seemed unlikely. Hermansson was unquestionably more active in the final round, bloodying Strickland’s nose and backing him up at times. It was simply too little, too late in the end however. Strickland’s defense served him well both on the striking side, and in terms of takedown defense, and he had the edge on the feet as a whole.
Despite a little brawl at the end, with Strickland doing a bit of trash talking, it was mostly a chess match through five rounds. One that Sean Strickland had clearly won. Except on one scorecard, apparently turned in by a judge watching a different fight.
Official Result: Sean Strickland def. Jack Hermansson by split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46)
