Jack Hermansson Says Israel Adesanya Cannot Hang With Him in Grappling

Published 11/14/2020, 2:35 AM EST

The sixth-ranked UFC middleweight, Jack Hermansson, is ready to make a comeback to the UFC Octagon on December 5. ‘The Joker’ appeared last on Fight Night: Figueiredo vs Benavidez 2, wherein he submitted Kelvin Gastelum in round one.

The Swedish Mixed Martial Artist will face Kevin Holland at the Main Event of the UFC Fight Night in a few weeks. Hermansson was initially booked against Darren Till at the same event. But ‘The Gorilla’s undisclosed injury knocked him out of the fight.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, ‘the Joker’ said, ”I am really looking to make a statement and show that I am on the next level.”

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He believed a win against Till would have made him a top contender for the title shot. However, his opportunity still isn’t farfetched. A win against Holland may earn him a fight against the top-ranked middleweight, Robert Whittaker. This will lead him closer to a fight against ‘The Last Stylebender’.

On either side, Kevin Holland has won four fights this year. He will look to make it five in a row and present ‘The Joker’ with a stern test. A win for ‘Trail Blazer’ will propel him in the race for the ‘UFC Fighter of the Year Award’.

Jack Hermansson vs Israel Adesanya, a good matchup?

Hermansson seems in his top-notch form, he has the most finishes in the UFC middleweight division (6) since 2016. ‘The Joker’ can be a great matchup to the Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya with his sublime grappling & finishing skills.

In a conversation with Submission Radio, Hermansson said, ”He (Adesanya) won’t like our fight going to the ground. We can be honest, he is the superior striker and I am the superior grappler. He cannot hang with me in there.”

At UFC 236, Adesanya struggled against Kelvin Gastelum when he tried to take him down went for quick counter-attacks. Hermansson would look to capitalize on the same points when he clashes with the ‘Stylebender’.

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Hermansson’s reach, ground & pound abilities he can be a sure threat to Adesanya. But, the middleweight champion has an upper hand in significant striking & defense which sets him apart from the rest in his division. This matchup can be an absolute blinder and has the audacity to be among the finest battles at 185-pounds.

Hermansson believes he is just one more fight away from the title shot. However, Kevin Holland may have something to say about that. Given the emergence of contenders at middleweight, should Adesanya prioritize his move to light-heavyweight? Do Hermansson’s comments have some weight behind them?

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Read: “I Will Fight Israel Adesanya in the Winter”- Jack Hermansson

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Written by:

Prathamesh Singh Chauhan is a Boxing Author at EssentiallySports. He is a graduate from the International Institute of Sports Management who combines his love for sports, particularly combat sports, and his flair for writing and analysis to help him in his day-to-day work. He has prior professional experience with sporting organizations such as Star Sports, Khelo India, and NBA.

Jack Hermansson Says Israel Adesanya Cannot Hang With Him in Grappling

Jack Hermansson vs Israel Adesanya, a good matchup?

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