Jack Hermansson got back to the winning column after more than a year of not fighting and a defeat in his previous match. The veteran, nonetheless, is not the only one celebrating his win over Joe Pyfer, as other pros in the industry are also praising the veteran’s performance in the octagon this weekend.
Hermansson faced the young Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 236 in a main-event middleweight fight. Although the 35-year-old failed to make a finish, he still managed to win the favor of the judges via a unanimous decision, with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 48-47.
The match started with Pyfer being aggressive, but the situation made a gradual shift in the end. After the young fighter stopped making combinations and started making one shot at a time, Hermansson began his work. In the last round, “The Joker” made a successful takedown, which Pyfer couldn’t escape. Before the match had ended, the position allowed Hermansson to make some ground strikes, which sealed his win.
Prior to the fight, many expressed doubt over the pairing, especially after Pyfer was allowed to headline an event, even if it was just his fourth octagon appearance. “Bodybagz,” nonetheless, was confident about his opportunity, underscoring his earlier three-fight winning streak and his massive build. However, in the end, Hermansson prevailed despite coming from a long rest.
Different professional fighters praised the Swedish-Norwegian for his win, stressing that experience always plays an important role in this sport.
“It’s a different ball game when you get inside that top 10,” wrote Derek Brunson on his X post. “I fought over a decade inside the TOP 10. Not many can say they have, Even past champs. A lot have reached the high and faded big, then lose 8 in a row like Johnny Hendricks! Joe will learn from this!”
“Experience won this fight,” echoed Belal Muhammad.
Despite this, fellow fighters didn’t ignore Pyfer’s performance in the event, praising the 27-year-old for taking a fight against a veteran like Hermansson.
“I’ve said it a thousand times, losing a round means nothing,” commented Chris Curtis. “And 5 round fights are a whole different monster. Way to go, Jack, veteran performance, and Pyfer has nothing to be ashamed of. Big step up and he performed admirably.”
“Joe Pyfer has real power and Jack has the experience,” added Randy Brown. “But Pyfer is looking really composed.”
