Hermansson steps into the spotlight in this edition of The Film Room.
Like many fighters, Hermansson began his career as a reckless striker with zero regard for cardio or defense. He would run face first into the pocket and swing until someone dropped. However, since joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster in 2016, Hermansson has toned down the aggression and now uses it as a backup for his tactical, high-paced striking style.
Hermansson remains an aggressive leading attacker, but he now takes a much more patient and tactical approach. He always stays light on his feet, which allows him to cover distance quickly, and he is constantly blitzing forward and backward to manipulate the opponent’s timing. He also frequently circles opponents on the outside to create dominate angles for his punches when they are slow to turn. His punches are not as technically clean as many of his contemporaries, as he often swings wide arm punches and crosses his feet when moving. However, it is nice to see that he knows the aggressive style on which he relied early in his career will not work at the highest levels and has adapted accordingly.
Since signing with the UFC, Hermanson has relied heavily on footwork and movement. He starts every fight by taking exaggerated steps forward, backward and side to side to get a read on his opponent’s reactions. This might not look like much to the untrained eye, but you can see he is trying to determine how the opponents will react to these movements and use those reactions to set them up later in the fight. Against Bradley Scott, Hermanson began the fight circling to both sides to see how he would react. He noticed Scott would drop his rear hand when he circled towards his weak side, and later in the fight, he used that reaction to set up a lead hook that dropped him.
Hermansson could stand to throw more kicks to the body and head, but he is an active leg kicker. He throws a lot of low-line kicks to the knees and thighs, and he is quick enough with them to use them on the counter -- a tactic you do not see often. These kicks are perfect for someone who relies on movement since they slow down the opponent and make it easier for Hermansson to move around and take angles.
Although Hermansson is an excellent striker, he has been wrestling since he was 8 years old and has relied on his grappling in the UFC much more than his standup skills. Since he is an aggressive striker, he often finds himself in the clinch -- a position from which he lands most of his takedowns. He rarely shoots for double- and single-legs, but if he does, they come off a caught kick or when the opponent overextends and leaves his hips wide open.
Once the fight hits the canvas, Hermansson utilizes some of the most relentless ground-and-pound in the division, but he is also smart enough to know when to pass guard and improve position and when to posture up and unload. He generally likes to go from side control to a side saddle before swinging his legs over into full mount. Once in mount, Hermansson cuts loose with ground-and-pound that more often than not results in a TKO finish. In fact, seven of his 11 knockout victories were from ground-and-pound, and all of his UFC finishes have come on the ground, including submissions in his two appearances prior to facing Souza.
Hermansson also has an underrated submission game. He only has five submission victories on his record, but two of those were in his last three fights and his recent performances show that he is transitioning into more of a grappling-based fighter. His successful guillotines on David Branch and Gerald Meerschaert were of the arm-in variety, with the opponent almost in half guard. This choke is extremely difficult to finish from this position, but it is quickly becoming a trademark for “The Joker.”
Hermansson has been one of the most exciting prospects for years, but his performance against Souza finally proved to fans that he is a serious threat to the title. Hermansson picked him apart on the feet, but the most impressive part of the Swede’s victory was his grappling. “Jacare” is one of the most accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioners to ever compete in the UFC, and Hermansson embarrassed him on the ground for long stretches. He easily defended submissions and scramble attempts while landing some nice ground-and-pound in the process. This was a statement fight for Hermansson, and the performance put the rest of the division on notice. Cannonier has proven to be a dangerous striker, but he historically struggles on the ground.