Hermansson outlasts Pyfer to score upset in UFC main event
Middleweight contender Jack Hermansson showed off his veteran savvy in an upset win over up-and-comer Joe Pyfer.
Hermansson defeated Pyfer in Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event, winning via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Pyfer entered his first UFC headliner as one of the most promising prospects in the 185-pound division, as he started his Octagon career with three straight stoppage victories. But the 27-year-old came up just short in his bid to crack into the top 15.
Meanwhile, Hermansson secured his first win since July 2022 and defended his No. 11 ranking.
Pyfer took an early lead against Hermansson, winning the first two rounds on all three judges' scorecards. But Hermansson turned the tide and punished Pyfer in the last three rounds to edge the fight.
"People underestimate my boxing because of some lesser good performances," Hermansson said in his postfight interview. "But I believe in myself. In a long fight, nobody has the cardio I have."
Pyfer dominated the first round by staying sharper and busier on the feet. He hurt Hermansson with a two-punch combination.
"I got hit in the beginning more than I should have," Hermansson said. "But the plan was to put on the pace the (longer) the fight went. ... I drown people when I do that."
The momentum shifted in Hermansson's favor in the third frame after he made some key adjustments. "The Joker" put pressure on Pyfer and attacked him with heavy leg kicks, cutting Pyfer's lead in half. Hermansson's jab was on point in a narrow fourth round.
Midway through the fifth round, Hermansson sealed the victory by securing his lone takedown of the fight. Hermansson controlled Pyfer for the last two-and-a-half minutes, hitting him with occasional ground-and-pound.
Hermansson, who is from Sweden but lives in Norway, hadn't stepped into the cage since December 2022 when he suffered a second-round defeat to Roman Dolidze. Hermansson, 35, pulled out of a fight last June due to injury and was shelved for the rest of 2023.
Hermansson, who has been in the UFC since 2016, was competing in his fifth main event Saturday. He has now alternated wins and losses in his last nine outings.
Pyfer signed with the UFC in 2022 after a win on Dana White's Contender Series. In his first three appearances, he finished Alen Amedovski (first-round knockout), Gerald Meerschaert (first-round TKO), and Abdul Razak Alhassan (second-round submission). In 15 fights as a pro, Pyfer had never gone five rounds and had only made it past the second round once.
Hermansson said he wants to fight Nassourdine Imavov next. Imavov, ranked No. 8, beat Dolidze by majority decision in last weekend's UFC main event.
Hermansson added he hopes to see MMA legalized in Norway and wants another UFC event in Sweden.