UFC 200 was a massive pay-per-view milestone and now we’ve got UFC Fight Night 200. This event is all set for February 5, 2022 and like its PPV counterpart, it too has a great main event. Jack Hermansson vs Sean Strickland will headline this show.

The question is though: how did we get here, and who’ll win?

Background

We begin with Jack “The Joker” Hermansson, who recently won a unanimous decision victory over Edmen Shahbazyan. This was Hermansson pulling one back after a loss to top dog Marvin Vettori. Hermansson has won six of his last eight fights and is ranked #6th in the middleweight division.

Meanwhile, Sean Strickland has been on a five-fight win-streak and is currently ranked at 7th in the middleweight division. So, Strickland has been on a roll and has two wins from last year; the latest one being a unanimous decision victory over Uriah Hall.

The Fight

The following are some key attributes that can decide Jack Hermansson vs Sean Strickland:

Physical Attributes

Physically, both these men are pretty similar, standing at 6’1. However, Hermansson gets the win here as he commands a reach of 77.5 inches, a whole 1.5 inches more than Strickland.

Both these competitors are built well, but here’s also no difference in weight though. These fighters are known for competing at 185 pounds, same as their weight class.

Striking

Strickland takes the win here as he’s known for piecing up his opponents pretty badly. Strickland’s attack is essentially based on the usage of ones and twos. He has an average of around 6 strikes landed per minute with a great strike defense rate of around 70 percent. These are backed up by his fight IQ.

Strickland is also powerful and can get technical with his striking as well.

In contrast, Hermansson isn’t known for his striking. Fans and journalists haven’t been able to see any improvements in his striking game. His SLpM is lesser and so are his defensive stats. Hermansson also didn’t do well against his last opponent Edmen Shahbazyan as far as strikes are concerned.

Grappling

This round goes to the Joker, as he has good wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. If he can get Strickland to the ground, he can stretch him out. This can happen if he catches Strickland off his balance. However, it should be noted that his opponent likes to fight flat-footed, while standing straight up.

To counter this, Hermansson needs a strength advantage that he may not have. Strickland also has a great takedown defense rate, which is one of the best in the company. Ideally, Hermansson should be able to capitalize on any mistake made by Strickland and catch him in a submission.  

Cardio

This is an important factor in any fight and both men do pretty well here. Strickland has great cardio and can fight relentlessly without tiring. Hermansson also has great cardio and could be adversely affected by this attribute of Strickland.

This is because Hermansson has a habit of trying to gas out his opponents to wear them out. However, Strickland could very well not let that happen as he will keep on delivering strikes. Either way, both these fighters are known for going the distance without any trouble.

So, it is difficult to say who gets favored in this round.

Chin

This is also an area where both the fighters have done excellently. Hermansson is known for taking shots but he leans too much on his chin. In fact, he broke his toe and eye socket against Marvin Vettori but he still stayed on the offensive. Hermansson has also won a stoppage with a broken rib.

At the same time, Strickland also has excellent durability and doesn’t have to worry much about Hermansson’s striking. So, Strickland may take a win in this comparison.

Mentally

It is important to be at the right state of mind. Both the fighters have won their last fights so there’s good momentum on both sides. Hermansson has a lot more on his plate as he has to maintain his position. Meanwhile Strickland, who is deemed insane by many fans is also hungry for blood.

Verdict

As indicated above, both fighters are pretty similar but at the end, Sean Strickland should take the win. Strickland is a much better striker and he can defend himself against Hermansson’s grappling as well. In order for Hermansson to win, he’s going to have to get Strickland to the ground.