And what a fight it was. In the July 18 installment of UFC Fight Island, Hermansson needed a scant 78 seconds to heel hook Kelvin Gastelum. There are myriad things any of us might remember about the year that is 2020 one day, and for Hermansson, it will be that evening.
“To be successful in the cage is the most important thing for me right now. My win over Kelvin Gastelum was definitely that moment for me. I was coming from a loss and I got an opportunity to fight one of the top guys, a guy that did very well against Adesanya. I just felt like I have the possibility here to prove myself, show everybody how good I am. I managed to finish him in the first round.”
Not that Hermansson lacks confidence, but besting the man who went a full twenty-five minutes with Adesanya in just seconds bestowed him with the knowledge that he has the tools to stand with the current champ when his chance comes. Taking care of Vettori, one of the few others to go the distance with The Last Stylebender, would only strengthen that resolve.
“I need to be at my best to beat him,” he says of Vettori. “He’s no pushover. But at the same time, I have bigger goals than my position right now. I want to become the best in the world, and I’m not going to let Marvin take that away from me.”
