Stunning Knockout Defeat for Jack Hermansson in Doha
Doha, Qatar – Jack Hermansson suffered a shocking first-round knockout loss to Myktybek Orolbai of Kyrgyzstan at a UFC Fight Night event held at teh Abha Arena on November 22, 2025. The defeat marks a significant setback for the Swedish middleweight, a former Cage Warriors and Warrior Fight Series champion who once held the No. 4 ranking in the UFC.
Hermansson, reflecting on the bout, admitted to feeling “a bit ’everywhere'” in both planning and execution. He had intended to utilize a ”distance game” and leverage his reach advantage,anticipating Orolbai’s aggressive pressure and aiming to capitalize on openings when his opponent attempted to break the clinch. However, the strategy backfired as Orolbai dictated the pace, forcing Hermansson onto the defensive.
“I feel that I was a bit ‘everywhere’ both in preparation and in the match. I wanted to use the ‘distance game’ and my range. At the same time, I know that he is no counter-attack fighter. He should always press, and if you get him on the back foot, he has no attack except possibly wrestling,” Hermansson stated.
The Swedish fighter acknowledged a pattern in his fights,noting he typically absorbs more damage when standing still. He suggested a more proactive approach to wrestling could have altered the outcome. “Historically, I receive more hits when I’m behind and stand still. When I’m forward, it rarely takes the biggest hits. Also, maybe I should initiate a bit more wrestling myself.”
Despite landing some jabs and momentarily finding his range, Hermansson described his performance as “awkward,” admitting to reacting too readily to Orolbai’s feints. He believes he was gaining an advantage on the scorecards before the fight was abruptly ended. “I put in a couple of jabs and found him from time to time, but it was a bit ‘awkward’, and I started biting his feints a bit too. Anyway, I think I would have won if I had been able to keep this fight going for three rounds. I think I’d ticked him more times than he’d ticked me, but it doesn’t help when he hits the light switch. Then it’s over.”
Hermansson’s professional MMA record now stands at 24 wins and 10 losses. He expressed a mixture of interest and frustration with the unpredictable nature of the sport, acknowledging the fine line between victory and defeat. “That is what is so incredibly cool about this sport when you look at it, that at any time something exciting like this can happen. That’s also what’s so incredibly frustrating when you deal with it too, that ‘damn, I can prick him 100 times, then he hits me once in the right place, and it’s over. Then I no longer have the possibility, no matter how much heart I have and want to fight.'”
