LAS VEGAS – Jack Hermansson already has a name in mind following his most recent win in the octagon.
This past Saturday, Hermansson (24-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) derailed the hype train of prospect Joe Pyfer (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 236, which went down at the UFC Apex. Hermansson defeated Pyfer, winning 48-47 on all three judges’ scorecards.
And now back in the win column, Hermansson wants a ranked name, specifically Nassourdine Imavov.
“I just watched the rankings and I fought a lot of guys up there, and I obviously can’t fight an unranked opponent and go directly to the top, so I need to fight someone close to me in the rankings,” Hermansson said at the UFC Fight Night 236 post-fight press conference. “I think he makes the most sense at the moment.”
Hermansson was able to get back to the win column with the victory over Pyfer, as he was coming off a December 2022 loss to Roman Dolidze. Hermansson, 35, felt he was being used to build Pyfer, and was glad to remind the MMA world he’s still a contender at middleweight.
“He didn’t have a ranking and I feel like he had more exposure than I did for this fight, but I understand why,” Hermansson said. “He has an amazing story, he’s coming through the contender series, and he has a lot of eyes on him. He should get the shot like this, but then you also need to perform to take it to the next level, and I was not going to be that stepping stone.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 236.
