Jack Hermansson Hopes Israel Adesanya Becomes a Champ-Champ

Jack Hermansson is hoping to take another step towards a title shot today at UFC Vegas 16. Further, the middleweight contender’s also let it be known, he hopes Israel Adesanya is holding two belts, if and when they fight.

Hermansson hopes Adesanya “pulls it off”

As it stands right now, the consensus is that the middleweight champ Adesanya, is going to challenge light heavyweight champ, Jan Blachowicz, in early 2021. The fight hasn’t been announced yet, but Adesanya, Blachowicz, and UFC President Dana White have all said they want to make it happen.

Well, in the interim, Hermansson is booked to fight Marvin Vettori tonight. Heading into the fight, Hermansson is ranked #4 in the UFC’s middleweight division, and he’s gone 4-1 in his last five bouts.

So, if Hermansson can score an impressive win today, he’ll take another step towards a title shot. While talking to the press recently about his title shot aspirations, ‘The Joker’ said this (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“If he (Adesanya) will fight Jan in the first half of next year, then he will defend his middleweight belt at the end of next year, that will be all right,” Hermansson said.

“Especially if he wins, he becomes the undefeated double-champ.

“I would like to fight a guy like that. I’m hoping he can pull it off and he will be able to fight in middleweight next year.”

And, while talking about facing Vettori specifically, who lost via split decision to Adesanya in 2018, Hermansson said this.

“I feel like if I finish Marvin Vettori, I’m going to do something nobody else has been doing.

I’ve done it before with people that was never finished and I feel like I’m going to pull it off this time.

If I do, I definitely feel like I will show everybody that I am on that next level and I do deserve to fight for the title.”

Will Hermansson lock-up a title shot?

You can understand why Hermansson’s making the case for a title shot, if he stops Vettori today. The latter is one of the division’s most promising fighters, and he was arguably, Adesanya’s stiffest test to date in the Octagon.

But…given that Hermansson isn’t long removed from a loss to Jared Cannonier, who Robert Whittaker just beat, it would be surprising if he leaped past the former champ in the title shot race.

You never know what can happen in MMA though. as Whittaker could get injured, the timing of the bout might not work for him etc.

First things first, however, and that’s defeating Vettori.