Jack Hermansson after victory over Edmen Shahbazyan: “Want to be fighting guys like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa”

Jack Hermansson, after recovering from COVID, reacts to defeating Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 27.

Jack Hermansson after victory over Edmen Shahbazyan: “Want to be fighting guys like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa”

Jack Hermansson, Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa

The number 7th ranked UFC Middleweight fighter Jack Hermansson secured a unanimous decision win against the 10th ranked Middleweight fighter Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 27.

Hermansson, who is coming off a loss to Marvin Vettori in his last fight secured a much-needed win to get back on the win column. After getting past Shahbazyan, Hermansson is eyeing fights with top-ranked opponents.

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“I want to be fighting guys like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, the winner of Brunson and Till could be a potential fight, so yeah, those guys.”
Jack Hermansson at post-fight press conference

Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa are two of the most dangerous fighters in the stacked 185-pound division. A win against either one of them would guarantee a title shot for Hermansson. ‘The Joker’ has now won 5 out of his last 6 fights which makes a great case for him fighting a top contender.

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Jack Hermansson reflects on fighting in the pandemic

The fight between Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan was supposed to take place for UFC 262 but due to COVID protocols, this fight got postponed one week further. Hermansson revealed how it felt like fighting after catching COVID. Despite getting a win against Shahbazyan, ‘The Joker’ admitted he wasn’t feeling 100%.

Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan
Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan
“I’m really happy I got the victory, especially after having COVID and stuff. I didn’t know how my body was going to react out there. I wasn’t happy with the first round of the fight.”
Jack Hermansson via post-fight presser

Other than Whittaker and Costa, Hermansson could also be in the mix to fight rising contender Sean Strickland. ‘The Joker’ has also made bold claims of being able to defeat the champion Israel Adesanya.

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