London, UK – The loss of Darren Till from the UFC London co-main event on Saturday had been devastating for Till, but was a massive opportunity for middleweight Chris Curtis. Curtis had been on a tear since joining the UFC last year, and had the biggest opportunity of his career against Jack Hermansson.
Round one was all Hermansson moving laterally and attacking the lead leg of Curtis. Curtis tried to get inside and close, but the kicks of Hermansson kept him at bay for the most part. Curtis was able to land to the body a bit, but not enough to land anything significant. Hermansson continued to punish the lead leg with kicks and calf kicks.
Round two Hermansson fought a smart fight. Stick and move style as he landed on Curtis but got out of range before the counter could come. At one point the high kick from Hermansson was blocked but still rocked Curtis to the point that “The Joker” went after him. Curtis covered up and absorbed the shots, but Hermansson was unable to finish him. A frustrated Curtis continued to ask Hermansson to engage with him, but he continued to chase him.
Round three right away with the high kick for Hermansson which worked plenty for him during the first two round. Hermansson stayed mobile the entire round never giving Curtis a chance to land much significant shots on him. The fight ended and the two began talking to each other with double middle fingers from Curtis and a “f*ck you!” from Hermansson.
Official Result: Jack Hermansson def. Chris Curtis via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
