(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Footwear: What’s subsequent for Jack Hermansson after UFC Combat Evening 236 win?)
If anybody ever underestimates the importance of expertise in MMA, level no additional than Saturday’s UFC Combat Evening 236 most important occasion, through which Joe Pyfer suffered his first octagon loss towards Jack Hermansson.
Beaming with the boldness of three consecutive finishes to start his UFC tenure, Pyfer (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) got here into the middleweight headliner vs. Hermansson (24-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with most confidence. It confirmed within the octagon to begin the combat, with Pyfer controlling the primary and second rounds.
The narrative modified within the third, nonetheless, when Hermansson landed a giant punch that hindered Pyfer’s imaginative and prescient. He shrunk within the second of adversity whereas Hermansson displayed veteran savvy and took over down the stretch to win a unanimous determination and take residence the upset, leaving questions on whether or not Pyfer was overmatched and overhyped.
His subsequent efficiency will likely be extra telling on that entrance. If Pyfer realized classes in output, pacing and the power to regulate the circulation of a combat, he’ll be higher for this. If not, than this most important occasion is likely to be his pinnacle. At simply 27, nonetheless, the longer term might nonetheless be fairly brilliant for Pyfer.
He must rack up one or two wins earlier than he will get one other crack at a ranked opponent, although. Many assume he was fast-tracked to this spot, so the subsequent time he will get somebody with a quantity subsequent to his title, it must be fully warranted.
Somebody just like the winner of subsequent month’s UFC Combat Evening matchup between Eryk Anders (15-7 MMA, 7-8 UFC) and Jamie Pickett (13-10 MMA, 2-6 UFC) is within the wheelhouse of a becoming rebound combat for Pyfer. Each males are skilled and have fought some marquee names within the division, and there’s quite a bit to check and distinction in how Pyfer would deal with them. The combat doesn’t go down till March 2, which means Pyfer has time to heal up then make his timeline match up with that of the winner.
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