Strickland takes decision over Hermansson in UFC Fight Night
Sean Strickland defeated Jack Hermansson via split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46) in the UFC Fight Night middleweight main event Saturday in Las Vegas.
The 30-year-old has now won each of his last six fights, including five consecutive in the middleweight division.
After a contested first round, Strickland dominated Hermansson in Round 2, dropping the 33-year-old with a strong shot in the final seconds. Strickland then controlled most of the bout with his jab.
Sean Strickland definitely got the win but that killer instinct didn't really show up until the final 10 seconds when he started shouting at Hermansson.#UFCVegas47
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) February 6, 2022
Strickland, who entered Saturday as the No. 7 middleweight, hopes he'll have a shot at the title next, though he's open to fighting anybody in the division.
"I would love to get a title shot," he said, according to Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports. "As the UFC knows, I'm a company man. I will fight whoever you put in front of me. But if they have the belt, I will be very happy. Whoever has the gold, (Robert) Whittaker or (Israel) Adesanya, I would love to get that fight."
Hermansson, the division's sixth-ranked fighter, is now 2-3 in his last five appearances, with his latest victory coming in May 2021 against Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision.