(Courtesy of UFC)
Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy picked up his first octagon win on Saturday in the UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson co-main event in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Hear what the controversial athlete had to say after his first-round win over Dmitrii Smoliakov.
RELATED UFC on ESPN+ 8 Full Live Results: Jacare vs. Hermansson
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/greg-hardy-feels-like-hes-coming-into-his-own-after-first-ufc-win
(Video courtesy of ESPN MMA | Viewing may be limited by broadcast rights restrictions)
Jack Hermansson has been rocketing up the UFC middleweight rankings over the past year, but he got the biggest victory of his career on Saturday night when he defeated Jacare Souza at UFC on ESPN+ 8 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Hermansson fought a strategic game, overwhelming Jacare with his volume of strikes, which included setting a UFC middleweight record. He landed 148 significant strikes; the most ever for a middleweight in a five-round fight. He also took Jacare down three times during the fight, which is the most times anyone has managed that feat.
Proving not only his mettle, but his versatility, Hermansson’s stock rose tremendously in everyone’s eyes, making him a legitimate contender at the top of the division.
TRENDING UFC Ft. Lauderdale Bonuses: Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira cash in with back and forth war
Following the fight, UFC commentator Jon Anik and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz broke down the fight and discussed what would be a next likely step for Hermansson’s career after defeating Jacare.
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/who-is-next-for-jack-hermansson-after-he-defeated-jacare-souza
Following UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, UFC president Dana White announced the recipients of the $50,000 bonuses during the event’s post-fight press conference. Veterans Jim Miller and Glover Teixeira took home performance bonuses for their finishes the welterweight bout between Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira earned Fight of the Night honors.
Oliveira and Perry kept the crowd on their feet inside BBT Center in Sunrise, Fla. with their back and forth battle. Oliveira had Perry on his heels in opening round with his reach advantage and constant attack. Perry’s power punching and heart got him back into the fight in the last two rounds. Perry battled back to take the unanimous decision.
Miller earned his extra cash for his quick submission over Jason Gonzalez on the preliminary fight card. After taking Gonzalez’ back, Miller locked on a rear-naked choke forcing the tap out. After the win, the 35-year old admitted that he didn’t know how many more fights he has left in him.
RELATED Jack Hermansson knocks Jacare Souza out of title contention at UFC Ft. Lauderdale
Teixeira’s second round finish of Ion Cuțelaba on the main card. Teixeira was staggered by a spinning back fist in the opening round. In the second frame, Teixeira landed big shots and sunk in a rear-naked choke after taking Cutelaba down.
UFC on ESPN+ 8 featured 13-fights. Eight of the bouts went the distance, Two ended in TKO stoppages, and three ended with submission finishes.
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-ft-lauderdale-bonuses-mike-perry-and-alex-oliveira-cash-in-with-back-and-forth-war
Following UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, UFC president Dana White revealed the gate and attendance numbers stemming from the event. 12,754 spectators attended the 13-fight card event at BBT Center in Sunrise, Fla. generating gate receipts totaling $1,209,654.09.
Those in attendance witnessed Jack Hermansson become a contender in the middleweight division with a unanimous decision win over the seasoned Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the fight card’s main event. It was the biggest win in the Swede’s career.
In the co-main event, former NLF defensive end Greg Hardy picked up his first octagon win with a first-round TKO of Dmitrii Smoliakov. Hardy hurt Smoliakov with an uppercut and finished him on the ground with a series of hammer fists.
RELATED UFC Ft. Lauderdale Bonuses: Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira cash in with back and forth war
Saturday was the second time the fight promotion has held an event at the venue with the first being UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall in June 2012. UFC on ESPN+ 8 nearly doubled the 2012 attendance at BBT Center.
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-on-espn-8-attendance-and-gate-numbers-from-ft-lauderdale
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back in Florida this week for a middleweight bout that will influence who is the next UFC middleweight contender.
UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson is topped by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza putting his middleweight contendership at risk against rising middleweight Jack Hermansson.
Jacare was originally slated to fight Yoel Romero in the Ft. Lauderdale main event, but Romero had to withdraw because of a bout with pneumonia. With the rematch off the table (Jacare lost their first fight via split decision), Jacare remained on the card to fight Hermansson, but only if he could still earn a shot at the middleweight title.
Champion Robert Whittaker is expected to fight interim titleholder Israel Adesanya as soon as September to unify the belts. Jacare wants the winner, but he’ll have to get past a rocketing Hermansson first.
The Swede is 6-2 in the Octagon, having won his last three fights. He’s hoping to upset Jacare and put himself into contention for a shot at the belt.
Oddsmakers at MMAWeekly.com odds partner MyBookie on Friday had Jacare as the favorite to continue his run at the UFC belt, which has eluded him during his six years in the Octagon. MyBookie has Jacare listed at -199, while Hermansson sat at +164.
The UFC on ESPN+ 8 co-main event features highly controversial former NFL player Greg Hardy, who is a heavy favorite to defeat Dmitrii Smoliakov at -315 to +255.
(If you’d like to wager on the fights, use the promo code MMAWEEKLY to get a 50-percent sign-up bonus at MyBookie.)
(as of April 26, 2019, courtesy of MyBookie)
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-ft-lauderdale-betting-odds-can-jack-hermansson-upset-jacare-souza