Hermansson submits Gastelum in 78 seconds at UFC Fight Night

Jack Hermansson stopped Kelvin Gastelum with a heel hook at the 1:18 mark of the first round in the UFC Fight Night co-main event Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Gastelum took control of the center of the Octagon to begin the middleweight bout, and Hermansson landed a pair of leg kicks from the outside. Hermansson took his opponent down and Gastelum immediately reversed the position, getting on top of "The Joker."

But from there, it all went south for Gastelum. He tried to stand up from Hermansson's guard, as his best shot to win this fight lied in the striking department. But as Gastelum attempted to leave top control, Hermansson latched onto his leg and sunk in a heel hook. Gastelum tried to escape, but the hook was tight, leaving him no choice but to tap out.

Hermansson returns to the win column with the submission victory. He entered the bout coming off a devastating loss to fellow contender Jared Cannonier last September. The 32-year-old is 5-1 in his past six bouts.

Gastelum, a former interim title challenger in the 185-pound division, has now lost three straight fights.