Sean Strickland has intense emotions about his upcoming main event fight against Jack Hermansson.
Strickland’s fight against Hermansson is still two months out, but he already has intense emotions about how the bout could play out. The rising middleweight contender said recently that when he meets Hermansson in UFC’s February 5th headliner, he hopes to “take everything” from Hermansson, including his “soul.”
The ranked middleweight mentioned his violent plans in a recent interview.
“I think it’s going to be a kickboxing match. I think we’re going to stand and bang. Obviously, it’s a fight, anything happens, but like the fourth round I want to f*cking take his soul,” Strickland said to MMA Junkie. “I want to take everything from him. I want to watch him bleed. I want to watch him hurt. The fourth round I really just want to f*cking put it on him.”
Jack Hermansson Provides Big Challenge For Sean Strickland
While confident in his words and planning to bring violence, Strickland undoubtedly has a big challenge ahead of him, as Hermansson is a tough contender in his own right.
Hermansson has won three of his last five bouts. His recent losses have come against big names in the division like Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. His last appearance was in May, where he beat prospect Edmen Shahbazyan on the judges' scorecards.
A win for Strickland will continue his quick and successful rise up the 185-pound division. Strickland won his first UFC main event in July, defeating Uriah Hall on scorecards. The fight was his fourth victory since returning in the fall of 2020.
Strickland envisions a victory next year, potentially setting him up for a fight against the UFC middleweight champion. He expects the result of his fight, along with an upcoming clash between Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier, to determine who is next in line for champion Israel Adesanya.
Who is your pick for the early February main event? Sean Strickland or Jack Hermansson?