LONDON – It was another successful night at the office for Jack Hermansson when he stepped inside the cage Saturday at UFC Fight Night 208.
With the win came entertainment value frustration, however, for the stick-and-move, slow-paced performance. That was both from fans and from Hermansson’s opponent Chris Curtis, who gave the finger at multiple points in the fight and during the reading of the unanimous decision.
“I think he got frustrated with me moving, moving, moving. I just try to stay disciplined and stick to my plan,” Hermansson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I could see the frustration in him.”
Despite the anger that radiated from Curtis, the beef was squashed post-fight. The two shared a drink after media obligations were taken care of. That, perhaps came after Hermansson elected to take the high road and apologize.
“I can’t remember but he was like taunting me,” Hermansson said. “Then, something slipped from my tongue. I’m a little bit disappointed with myself there that I got caught up in that because I’m all about sportsmanship. I want the sport to be clean and after the fight, we should be good friends. I really apologize to Chris Curtis for that.”
The win marked Hermansson’s second win in three fights. He’s alternated wins and losses dating back to April 2019. Looking for more consistent results, Hermansson wants to compete in Sweden later this year, at a card MMA Junkie reported is in the works for November.
As for an opponent, Hermansson hasn’t closed the door on a rebooking against Darren Till, his originally-scheduled opponent for UFC Fight Night 208. However, Hermansson isn’t going to jump at the opportunity to be matched with a fighter who frequently pulls out of bouts due to injury.
“Of course that fight interests me,” Hermansson said. “It’s a great fight. I think Darren is a great opponent and has a lot of fans. He’s a fan favorite. But it’s a little bit scary to book up against him a third time, you know? The third time is the charm, so maybe.
“… I would love to fight somebody (new). I’ve fought a lot of guys already inside those rankings, so somebody I haven’t fought. You’ve got Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker – two names I haven’t fought.”
