LAS VEGAS – Sean Strickland is looking for some long, drawn-out punishment of Jack Hermansson in their upcoming main event clash.
Strickland (24-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is set to take on Hermansson (22-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in a middleweight headliner at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 5. It’s an important fight for the division, and one Strickland hopes will lead to a sixth consecutive victory for him.
He has every intention of that being the case, and doing so in a dominant fashion. Strickland said he sees himself as better than Hermansson everywhere, and he intends on proving that with a brutal beatdown inside the octagon.
“I’m a way better grappler than Jack is,” Strickland told MMA Junkie. “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. 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.”
If Strickland manages to get past Hermansson, he’ll be in the upper tier of title contenders at 185 pounds. There are some big fights for the division on the docket in February, with UFC 271 on Feb. 12 set to host an Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker title rematch, as well as a potential title eliminator between Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson.
Strickland can see himself getting a title shot with a win over Hermansson, but he said it’s entirely dependent on how the other fights play out.
“If Brunson wins I think I should get the title shot if I beat Jack,” Strickland said. “If Cannonier wins he deserves it. If Brunson wins, we’ve already seen that. I think I should get it.
“Whittaker ain’t gonna beat Izzy. No offense, Whittaker, you’re a f*cking savage. I’m a fan, dude. But he ain’t gonna beat him.”
Sean Strickland hopes to hurt Jack Hermansson: ‘I want to f*cking take his soul’