MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC Fight Night 236.
UFC Fight Night 236 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Jack Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’1″ Age: 35 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: “77.5”
- Last fight: TKO loss to Roman Dolidze (Dec. 3, 2022)
- Camp: Frontline Academy (Norway)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Wrestling base
+ 11 KO victories
+ 6 submission wins
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Long and accurate jab
+ Hard leg and body kicks
+ Strong clinch game
^ Dirty boxing, trips, takedowns
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Works well from front headlock
+ Active and attacking guard
+ Superb ground striker
Joe Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’2″ Age: 27 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 75″
- Last fight: Submission win over Abdul Razak Al-hassan (Oct. 7, 2023)
- Camp: Marquez MMA (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ 8 knockout victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ Knockout power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Solid boxing technique
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Strikes well off the breaks
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Good positional grappler
^ Works well from topside
Point of interest: More middleweights...
Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough middleweight action, the UFC books yet another main attraction at 185 pounds.
No stranger to middleweight showcase assignments, Jack Hermansson is a madman who understands the mission at hand.
Working behind the bounce in his step, the 35-year-old Swede will pressure his opponents with fakes and feints, gathering his distance through prodding jabs. Once finding his range, Hermansson has little issue launching his right hand in the form of overhands or uppercuts, and can counter well with short shots when on the inside.
Hermansson has also quietly improved on his kicks in recent years, throwing with much more conviction to both the body and legs.
Still, Hermansson is not beyond being countered or stung by strikes and will need to be on his best behavior opposite the likes of Joe Pyfer.
Although his resume may not be littered with the accolades you see from a lot of competitors, it’s clear that Pyfer has a natural aptitude for combat and has been doing it for quite some time.
Displaying solid boxing technique, Pyfer does a decent job of staying on balance, which, in turn, allows him to stay ready to press and return with power. Pyfer also appears to have excellent eyes in exchanges, showing a knack for either intercepting opponents on exits or hitting heavy counters in tight pockets.
When feeling in stride, Pyfer isn’t afraid to punctuate his combinations with hard kicks. That said, the Pennsylvania native also has level-changing threats he can go to as well.
Point of interest: Potential grappling threats
Given that both fighters are strong grapplers, no one should be surprised if we’re privy to some mat time in this Saturday’s main event.
For my money, the man who will engage in the grappling first will probably be Hermansson.
Coming from a solid base in Greco-Roman wrestling, Hermansson has a decent variety of trips and tosses he looks to set up whenever he is not unloading in the dirty boxing department. Keen on upper-body attacks, Hermansson works well from the body lock while using slick foot sweeps for assists, but is not beyond changing levels to hit reactive shots in space.
However, I’m not sure that Hermansson will have the easiest time trying to take down Pyfer, who appears well-schooled in the wrestling and grappling realm.
Training at Marquez MMA (home to fighters like Sean Brady and Pat Sabatini), Pyfer has a solid stable and staff to work with – and it shows.
From Pyfer’s ability to sniff out shots in space to the strength of his own takedowns, the 27-year-old’s natural abilities appear to translate well in closed quarters. And when the American can get on top, he displays powerful strikes and passes that open submission opportunities.
Still, Pyfer can’t afford to underestimate a grappler like Hermansson in this space.
Although Hermansson’s title of ‘best ground-and-pounder’ is self-proclaimed, it is far from a joke for the man who fights out of Norway.
A superb transitional grappler, Hermansson is a heavy top player who can seamlessly ride and pass under the guise of unforgiving ground strikes – a process that has helped him secure victories over credentialed black belts.
Hermansson also has an impressive guard game that he keeps in his back pocket, but I’m sure that those ideas are something he’d rather not have to rely on here. Outside of the leg lock games that can catch some MMA fighters by surprise, Pyfer seems like a well-schooled submission grappler who doesn’t ‘say Uncle’ easily.
Point of interest: Odds and opinions
The oddsmakers and public are favoring the American, listing Pyfer -280 and Hermansson +210 via FanDuel.
Despite the line starting to get a bit wide for my liking, I can’t say that I’m surprised to see Pyfer installed as a moderate favorite. Still, I warn anyone who is completely discounting “The Joker” in this spot.
Aside from the fact that Hermansson is the more proven fighter over a more solid sample size, the Swede has some skills that could prove problematic.
Not only can Hermanson use the smaller octagon to make things ugly and test his opponent’s stamina over the course of five rounds, but the Frontline Academy product also has some solid leg kicks that could pester Pyfer given his boxing-centric stance. That said, I still find myself siding with Pyfer to win.
Whether we’re talking about his ability to keep things standing or his devastating counters at boxing range, I believe that Pyfer will probably be a big problem early for Hermansson on the feet. And though I’d love to get more information on Pyfer in the latter rounds, I can’t help but see him closing the show in the second frame after a feeling-out process in the first.
