UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson let his emotions get the better of him in the Octagon at UFC London, calling Chris Curtis a “f***ing p*ssy” in response to Curtis’ taunts as the final buzzer went. Hermansson, after the fight, immediately apologized, and said he hoped to apologize to Curtis in person.
“I can’t remember [what was said] but he was, like, taunting me, then something slipped from my tongue. I’m a little bit disappointed with myself that I got caught up in that because I’m all about sportsmanship. I want the sport to be clean and after a fight we should be good friends. So I really apologize to Chris Curtis for that.
Hermansson Apologises To Chris Curtis: “I Want the Sport to be Clean”
I haven’t [spoken to him yet], unfortunately. I would love to square up and again, I apologize so much for my bad behavior.”
The fight, a unanimous decision win for Hermansson, was a marked improvement over his last performance, which saw the Norwegian middleweight dominated by Sean Strickland. With his improved striking and standup strategy, Hermansson – who, previously, relied heavily on his grappling to impose his will on his opponents – has a few names in mind for his next fight. With the UFC rumored to return to Sweden this year, where Hermansson lives, he’s eyeing a quick return to the Octagon.
“I would love to be on that card and I want to fight somebody in the rankings for my next one. Continue to climb towards that big goal. I would love to fight somebody that I haven’t fought. I’ve fought a lot of guys inside the rankings already. So somebody I haven’t fought. We’ve got Paulo Costa, we have Robert Whittaker, two names I haven’t fought.”
The elephant in the room, of course, is to take on Darren Till. Twice now, Hermansson and Till have been scheduled to fight, and twice Till has been forced out of the bout. Is a re-booked fight against the Scouser the next move for Jack Hermansson?
“Of course the fight interests me. It’s a great fight and I think Darren is a great opponent. He has a lot of fans. He’s a fan favorite, but it’s a little bit scary to book up against him a third time. But third time’s the charm, so maybe.”
Should Chris Curtis accept Jack Hermansson’s apology, or should Hermansson have offered a more exciting fight in the Octagon? Who should Hermansson fight next? Let us know in the comments.
