Hermansson v Pyfer UFC fight preview, betting odds & free tips

The latest UFC Fight Night from the Apex in Las Vegas pits a potential middleweight star against a veteran who has shared the cage with the division’s best. Joe Pyfer has only appeared thrice at UFC level but has been matched with the highly ranked Jack Hermansson to see if the newcomer has the skills required to conquer this stacked division. Read on for our in-depth fight analysis and UFC betting preview.

Jack Hermansson v Joe Pyfer fight preview

Jack Hermansson vs Joe Pyfer

Jack Hermansson (23-8-0) has carved out a long UFC career through gritty toughness and a reluctance to take a backward step. He has not won two fights in a row since 2019 and, at age 35, might be drawing toward the end of his MMA journey. The Swede has shared the octagon with some illustrious company, eking out a narrow loss to Sean Strickland in 2022, scoring a submission win over Kelvin Gastelum, and losing by unanimous decision to Marvin Vettori.

Hermansson’s most recent appearance resulted in a round-two KO defeat by Roman Dolidze, and another stoppage loss might push the veteran warrior to hang up his gloves. He will enjoy an experience advantage in this contest and would be wise to start conservatively and look to gradually overwhelm his younger opponent. Hermansson has fought in five-round contests on three occasions, all against elite-level talent, while the newcomer opposite has never featured in a main event and might be vulnerable in the latter stages.

Joe Pyfer (12-2-0) graduated from Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 with a tidy second-round knockout finish over Osman Diaz. He has since fought three times in the UFC with a perfect record of early stoppage wins — two coming via TKO and one via submission. He is still unranked but has been booked for this headliner based on potential and the intensity he carries into the cage.

Pyfer stands tall at 6’3″ and throws heavy strikes with bad intentions. He has amassed eight KO finishes in his professional career, with three submissions and one decision victory rounding out his impressive early record. This matchup against a top-10 opponent may appear rushed, but UFC management is excited by his prospects and believes the American may one day compete for the middleweight crown.

Jack Hermansson v Joe Pyfer betting predictions

Pyfer is the a warm favourite given his strong recent form and Hermansson’s advancing age. There is little value in backing the younger fighter straight-up, so we are looking at the method of victory markets in search of better odds with UFC bookmakers.

Both men have solid ground games that will probably negate each other, so the difference may be Pyfer’s striking and Hermansson’s ability to weather the standup storm. Given that Hermansson was finished in his last fight, we are leaning toward a stoppage win for the favourite.

Sports betting tips