Paplov Georgii

Mikhail Cirkunovs (born February 27, 1987), better known as Misha Cirkunov is a Latvian-Canadian professional mixed martial artist of Russian heritage, who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He lives in and fights out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background

Son of Oleg and Olga, Cirkunov was born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (now Latvia) in 1987. In his childhood, Cirkunov was active in various sports like swimming, basketball, judo and karate. Growing up, Cirkunov dabbled into dubious circles which prompted the family to emigrate to Toronto, Ontario, when he was 13. With no skills in English, Cirkunov struggled in school but continued training judo and also picked up wrestling.

Cirkunov won junior nationals in judo in 2003, Greco-Roman wrestling national championship in 2005 and national championships in freestyle wrestling in 2005 and 2006. After winning the latter championship, Cirkunov became a Canadian citizen. After graduating from high school Cirkunov found Brazilian jiu-jitsu, briefly relocating to Las Vegas to train but returned to Canada to open his own gym. After the unsuccessful venture as a gym owner, he started training at recently opened Xtreme Couture satellite gym in Etobicoke.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Cirkunov made his professional debut in January 2010 and amassed a record of 9–2 before signing a four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the summer of 2015.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Cirkunov was expected to make his promotional debut against Sean O'Connell on August 23, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 74. O'Connell withdrew from the bout due to injury and was replaced by Daniel Jolly. Cirkunov defeated Jolly via first-round KO after achieving full mount and battering him when he turned his back.

Cirkunov faced promotional newcomer Alex Nicholson on February 6, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 82. Cirkunov submitted Alex Nicholson via a second-round neck crank, breaking both sides of his jaw in the process, after earlier breaking his nose. At the post-fight press conference, he told reporters, "I’m just really happy with the performance and especially – not just the submission – but I was able to break his jaw. I’m impressed."

Cirkunov next faced another promotional newcomer in Ion Cuțelaba on June 18, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 89. He won the fight via submission in the third round.

Cirkunov faced Nikita Krylov on December 10, 2016, at UFC 206. He won the fight via submission in the first round.

In March 2017, Cirkunov signed a new, six-fight deal with UFC and fought Volkan Oezdemir on May 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 109. He lost the fight via knockout in just 28 seconds of the very first round.

Cirkunov was scheduled to face Glover Teixeira on October 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 119. However, the pairing was delayed after a recent hand surgery for Teixeira was slow to heal and the bout eventually took place on December 16, 2017, at UFC on Fox 26. Cirkunov lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

Cirkunov faced Patrick Cummins on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138. He won the fight by submission in the first round via an arm triangle choke.

Cirkunov was expected to face Ovince Saint Preux on March 2, 2019, at UFC 235. However, on February 11, it was announced that Saint Preux suffered an injury and was pulled from the fight. Cirkunov instead faced Johnny Walker. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

Cirkunov faced Jimmy Crute on September 14, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 16. He won the back-and-forth fight via a Peruvian necktie submission in the first round. The win also earned Cirkunov his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Cirkunov was expected to face Ryan Spann on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183. However, Cirkunov pulled out in early December due to an injury. The fight was rescheduled to March 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187. Cirkunov lost the fight via technical knockout in round one.

Cirkunov faced Krzysztof Jotko in a middleweight bout on October 2, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 193. He lost the fight via split decision.

Cirkunov was scheduled to face Makhmud Muradov on February 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 202. However, Muradov pulled out in late January due to a hand injury and he was replaced by Wellington Turman. He lost the bout via armbar in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Jimmy Crute.

Tsarukyan is expected to face Joel Álvarez on February 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 202. He won the bout via ground and pound TKO in the second round. The win also earned Tsarukyan his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Islam Makhachev.

Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Christos Giagos and Joel Álvarez.

Bradley Riddell (born 30 September 1991) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of December 6, 2021, he is #14 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Background

‘Quake’ netted several kickboxing championships around New Zealand during his rise through the regional scene. He also fought professional Muay Thai and kickboxing fights, fighting to a split decision with Glory welterweight champion, Cédric Doumbé, and losing a competitive decision to ONE lightweight champion, Regian Eersel. He also has wins against the likes of famed Aussie kickboxer John Wayne Parr.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Riddell made his MMA debut in an unexpected manner, having flown into Myanmar for a Muay Thai fight, but being told upon landing that it was a MMA fight. Then during his Muay Thai/Kickboxing career, he would continue to have MMA fights, mainly in the Glory of Heroes promotion, with his most notable win being a knockout of future fellow UFC fighter Kenan Song.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Brad made his UFC career debut against fellow newcomer, Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 243 on 5 October 2019. In a fast paced fight, Riddell won the fight via unanimous decision and took home the Fight of the Night bonus.

Brad faced Magomed Mustafaev on 23 February 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker. He won the fight via split decision.

Riddell faced Alex da Silva Coelho at UFC 253 on 27 September 2020. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Riddell was expected to face Gregor Gillespie on 20 March 2021 at UFC on ESPN 21. However, the day of the event the bout was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

Riddell faced Drew Dober on 12 June 2021 at UFC 263. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Riddell faced Rafael Fiziev on 4 December 2021 at UFC on ESPN 31. He lost the fight via knockout in round three.

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Jamie Mullarkey and Drew Dober.

Wollongong Wars

Wollongong Wars Welterweight Championship (One time).

Personal life

Riddell dubbed himself “Quake” in homage to his home city of Christchurch, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2011. The disaster destroyed many of the buildings, including Riddell’s place of work, but it was also the catalyst for him moving to Auckland and building a career in combat sports.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Christian Aguilera[14]

MMAjunkie.com

2020 August Submission of the Month vs. Christian Aguilera[25]

Cage Fury Fighting Championships

Cage Fury FC Welterweight Championship (One Time)

Two successful title defenses

Sean Thomas Brady (born November 23, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. as of December 20, 2021, he is #9 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Background

Brady was born and raised in Burholme, Philadelphia. While studying at Swenson Arts and Technology High School to become an auto mechanic Brady started training muay thai, subsequently also picking up Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Spending most of his time in the Cage Fury Fighting Championship, Brady compiled an undefeated 10–0 pro record. Along the way, Brady captured the Welterweight title with a submission win over Mike Jones. Brady then defended his 170-pound championship with a fourth-round knockout over Taj Abdul-Hakim. After this performance, he was given a UFC contract.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his UFC debut, Sean Brady faced UFC veteran Court McGee on October 18, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 6. He won the fight via a unanimous decision.

Brady faced Ismail Naurdiev on February 29, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 169. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Brady faced Christian Aguilera at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić on August 29, 2020. He won the fight via a guillotine choke in round two. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Brady was expected to face Belal Muhammad on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 185. However in late October, Brady had a broken nose and had to pull out of their bout.

Brady faced Jake Matthews on March 6, 2021 at UFC 259. He won the fight via a submission in round three.

Brady was scheduled to face Kevin Lee on July 10, 2021 at UFC 264. However, Lee withdrew due to injury and the bout was rescheduled to UFC on ESPN 30 on August 28, 2021. Subsequently, the bout was yet again cancelled after Brady withdrew due to a foot infection.

Brady faced Michael Chiesa on November 20, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 198. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Bryce Andrew Mitchell (born October 4, 1994) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mitchell appeared in the reality television series The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated. As of July 12, 2021, he is #11 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Background

Mitchell was born and raised in Cabot, Arkansas and attended Cabot High School. He played multiple sports, including basketball for the varsity team and wrestling, in which he placed second at the 7A state championships as a junior and fourth at the 6A state championships as a senior. After high school, Mitchell moved to Searcy, Arkansas to attend Harding University.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After racking up an undefeated professional MMA record of 9–0, Mitchell was chosen to The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated Featherweight tournament. He defeated Jay Cucciniello in the quarterfinals but ended up losing to the eventual season winner Brad Katona in the semi-finals. Despite the loss, Mitchell was signed to the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Mitchell faced Tyler Diamond on July 6, 2018 at The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated. He won the fight by majority decision.

Mitchell faced Bobby Moffett on March 23, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Pettis. He won the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned both the Fight of the Night award.

Mitchell faced Matt Sayles on December 7, 2019 at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik. He won the fight by submission from a twister in the first round; this was only the second twister submission victory in UFC history, with Korean Zombie securing the first in 2011 against Leonard Garcia. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award and it was named the 2019 Submission of the Year by sites like Sherdog, MMAJunkie and MMA Fighting. Subsequently, Mitchell signed a new, four-fight contract with the UFC.

Mitchell was scheduled to face Charles Rosa on May 2, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout took place on May 9, 2020 at UFC 249. Mitchell dominated the fight, almost submitting Rosa multiple times, winning the fight via unanimous decision with the three scorecards listing 30–25, 30–25, and 30–24 scores.

Mitchell faced Andre Fili on October 31, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva. This bout marked the first time a fighter has worn custom trunks since the Reebok deal with the promotion, as Mitchell used camo shorts during the contest. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Mitchell is scheduled to face Edson Barboza on March 5, 2022 at UFC 272.

Personal life

Mitchell has a degree in economics from Harding University.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Matt Sayles.

Fight of the Night (One Time) vs. Bobby Moffett.

UFC Honors 2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

CagesidePress.com

2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

CombatPress.com

2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

MMAJunkie.com

2019 December Submission of the Month vs. Matt Sayles.

2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

MMA Fighting

2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

Sherdog.com

2019 Submission of the Year vs. Matt Sayles.

Song Yadong (Chinese: 宋亚东; pinyin: Sòng Yàdōng; born December 2, 1997) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes as a Bantamweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of November 16, 2021, he is #14 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Background

Raised by a single mother, Song was sent to a martial arts school at the age of nine. Song eventually begun training mixed martial arts at the age of 13, making his professional debut before his sixteenth birthday.

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In November 2017, it was announced that Song Yadong would step in on short notice, to fight the first ever Indian-born fighter in the UFC and fellow debutante, Bharat Kandare at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Gastelum in Shanghai, China. Song's UFC debut took place on the 25th November, 2017. Song landed fast counter punches, combinations and some heavy leg kicks, but at the end of the fourth minute, Song landed a right hand that knocked Khandare down, causing Khandare to reach for Song's legs to try and get a takedown; however, it was not a good attempt and Song was easily able to secure a front choke, giving Song his first UFC win and his third win by submission.

In Song's second UFC fight, he faced Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and Muay Thai fighter, Felipe Arantes on June 23, 2018 at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards in Singapore. After a strong first round, with Song landing quick counter punches and securing top control after catching an Arantes' kick, the second round saw much of the same, except Arantes shot for a double-leg which ultimately resulted in Song easily shucking it off with Arantes, again, landing on his back with Song attempting an arm-triangle choke. However, with exactly a minute left in the second round, Arantes was able to force a stand up and returned to his feet. With 10 seconds remaining in the round, Arantes was being pushed against the fence and what was looking like another round being won by Song; Song landed a hard elbow, which forced Arantes to crumple onto his knees that forced the referee to jump in and end the fight, declaring Song the victor by way of technical knockout at 4:59 of the second round. With this win, Song received the Performance of the Night bonus which earned him an extra $50,000.

Song was expected to face Frankie Saenz on 24 November 2018 at UFC Fight Night 141. However, it was reported on November 7, 2018 that he pulled out of the event due to injury and he was replaced by newcomer Vince Morales. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Song was scheduled to face Alejandro Pérez on March 2, 2019 at UFC 235. However, it was reported on January 11, 2019 that he pulled out due to an undisclosed reason. He was replaced by Cody Stamann. The bout with Pérez was rescheduled and eventually took place on July 6, 2019 at UFC 239. Song won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Song faced Cody Stamann on December 7, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 7. After three round fight, the fight ended with a majority draw.

Song faced Marlon Vera in a featherweight bout on May 16, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants earned the Fight of the Night award.

Song faced Kyler Phillips on March 6, 2021 at UFC 259. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Song faced Casey Kenney on August 7, 2021 at UFC 265. He won the fight via split decision.

Song faced Julio Arce on November 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 197. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two.

Song is scheduled to face Marlon Moraes on March 12, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 203.

Personal life

Song and his wife have a son.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Bharat Khandare, Felipe Arantes and Alejandro Pérez.

Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Marlon Vera.

Sanda

2011 Hebei Provincial Sanda Championship − 1st place, 60 kg.

Muay Thai

2011 National Muay Thai Championship − 5th place.

Grappling

2012 Shanghai Jiu-Jitsu Open − 4th place.

Makhachev is scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on February 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 202.

Makhachev is scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on February 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 202. However, on February 12, 2022 it was reported that Dariush withdrew from the event due to an ankle injury and he was replaced by Bobby Green. He won the bout via ground and pound TKO in the first round.

Rogério Raab Bontorin (born 25 April 1992) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the formal 57 kg Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Northeast Brazil champion. As of 21 September 2021, he is #7 in the UFC flyweight rankings.

Background

Bontorin, a resident of Colombo, Paraná, Brazil in a family farm where he works. He started his MMA career at the age of 18.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Bontorin made his professional debut in 2013 and fought primarily in his native country Brazil as well as Japanese promotion Pancrase.

Bontorin faced Takeshi Kasugai at Pancrase 283 on 18 December 2016. He missed the contracted weight and went on to win the fight via first-round submission. However, the win was overturned to no contest due to the weight miss.

He amassed a record of 13–1 (1) prior to participated in Dana White's Contender Series.

Dana White Contender Series

Dawson appeared in Dana White Contender Series Brazil - Season 1, Episode 1 web-series program. He faced Gustavo Gabriel Silva on 10 August 2018 and won the fight via a submission in round two. With the win, Bontorin was offered a UFC contract.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Bontorin made his promotional debut on 2 February 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2, facing Magomed Bibulatov. At the weigh-ins, Bibulatov weighed in at 127 pounds, 1 pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126 and he was fined 20 percent of his purse, which went to Bontorin. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

His next fight came on 10 August 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 against Raulian Paiva. He won the fight via technical knockout by cutting the eyebrow of Paiva in round one.

On 15 February 2020 Bontorin faced Ray Borg at UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2. At the weigh-ins, Borg failed to make weight, coming in at 128 pounds, two pounds over the flyweight non-title limit of 126 pounds. He was fined 30% of his fight purse, which went to Rogério Bontorin and the bout proceeded at a catchweight. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Bontorin was scheduled to face Manel Kape on 15 August 2020 at UFC 252. However, Bontorin pulled out of the fight on 22 July due to an ankle injury. Promotion officials tried to find a replacement for Kape but he was eventually removed from the card.

Bontorin faced Kai Kara-France on 6 March 2021 at UFC 259. He lost the fight via knockout in round one.

Bontorin faced Matt Schnell, replacing Alex Perez, on 15 May 2021 at UFC 262. At the weigh ins, Bontorin weighed in at 137 pounds, 1 pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout is expected to proceed at catchweight and he was fined 20% of his individual purse, which went to Schnell. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

In June 2021, Bontorin was flagged by USADA for a potential doping violation. Bontorin tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic, in an out-of-competition sample in May 2021. Bontorin, tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) as the result of a urine sample collected out-of-competition on 1 May 2021. Following notification of his positive test, Bontorin provided open containers of two dietary supplements he obtained from a Brazilian compounding pharmacy that he was using prior to his positive test for analysis by a WADA-accredited laboratory. Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement product labels, the analysis revealed the presence of HCTZ in the products. Bontorin was given a three month suspension that began on 1 May 2021. The result was overturned to a no contest.

Bontorin faced Brandon Royval on 15 January 2022 at UFC on ESPN 32. He lost the fight via split decision.

James Kaiwhare Kara-France (born March 26, 1993) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 21, 2021, he is #6 in the UFC flyweight rankings.

Background

Kara-France started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 10 but stopped after two years. After being bullied for his small stature in high school – Mount Albert Grammar School – he started training mixed martial arts as a whole. Kara-France attended Unitec Institute of Technology for a spell, but dropped out. He is partly of Maori ancestry.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In November 2010, Kara-France began his professional MMA career in his home city of Auckland, New Zealand, with a first-round TKO win over Ray Kaitiana.

Kara-France decided to drop out of the university after seeing a Facebook post promoting Tiger Muay Thai gym scholarship. He applied to the gym and was awarded the scholarship after try-outs. He moved to Phuket, Thailand, in 2013 where he trained and built his mixed martial arts record by fighting around Asia and The Pacific.

The Ultimate Fighter

In 2016, Kara-France competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions - the 24th edition of the UFC-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. He won his first fight with a 30-second KO win over Terrence Mitchell. His second and final fight in this tournament was in the quarterfinals, where he lost by decision to Alexandre Pantoja.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kara-France was signed by the UFC in July 2018 and he made his UFC debut on December 1, 2018 at UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa against Ashkan Mokhtarian. However, on November 21, 2018, Moktarian was pulled from the fight, citing an injury, and he was replaced by Elias Garcia. After both fighters getting knocked down, Kara-France won the fight via unanimous decision. Both fighters were awarded US$50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

Two months later, Kara-France faced Raulian Paiva on February 10, 2019 at UFC 234. He won the fight via split decision.

Kara-France faced Mark De La Rosa on August 31, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Kara-France was briefly linked to a bout to Sergio Pettis on December 14, 2019 at UFC 245. However, in early October, Pettis revealed that he was entertaining offers from other promotions after the completion of his previous contract and did not currently have a fight lined up with the promotion. Kara-France instead faced Brandon Moreno. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Kara-France faced Tyson Nam on February 23, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 168. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Kara-France was expected to face Alex Perez on May 16, 2020. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Kara-France faced Brandon Royval on September 27, 2020 at UFC 253. After both fighters being knocked down in the first round, Kara-France lost the fight via submission in the second round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Kara-France faced Rogério Bontorin on March 6, 2021 at UFC 259. He won the fight via knockout in round one. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Kara-France next faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt, in Garbrandt's flyweight debut, on December 11, 2021 at UFC 269. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. The win also earned Kara-France his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award.

Kara-France is scheduled to face Askar Askarov on March 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 205.

Personal life

Kai and his wife Chardae have a son, Cobi (born 2021).

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championships

Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Elias Garcia and Brandon Royval.

Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Rogério Bontorin, Cody Garbrandt.

Jack Berndhard Hermansson (born June 10, 1988) is a Swedish-born Norwegian professional mixed martial artist, who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former middleweight champion in Cage Warriors and Warrior Fight Series. As of February 7, 2022, he is #7 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Background

Hermansson was born and raised in Uddevalla, Sweden, on June 10, 1988, with six siblings. He started his martial arts career as a Greco-Roman wrestler in 1997, at age of 9. He won the national championship in wrestling. Later after training some Muay Thai and other disciplines, he transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2008. Jack is half German.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Hermansson turned professional in 2010 and racked up a 5–0 record, all stoppages (4 KO's, 1 submission), in a little over a year. In his first fight, he won the title in the East Coast Fight Factory organization by a one-punch knockout in the third round. Two of the other victories, both by knockout, came in British top promotion Cage Warriors.

Bellator MMA

After his early career success, Hermansson was signed by American promotion Bellator MMA in 2012.

Hermansson made his promotional debut against Daniel Vizcaya on December 14, 2012, at Bellator 84. He lost the back-and-forth fight by split decision.

Hermansson next fought Jason Butcher on March 21, 2013, at Bellator 93. He lost the fight by submission due to a triangle choke. This would mark the last fight for Hermansson in the promotion.

Independent promotions

After two fights overseas, Hermansson returned to Europe and Cage Warriors.

Hermansson's first outing came against Enoc Solves Torres on March 22, 2014, at Cage Warriors 66. He won the fight by TKO in the third round.

Less than a month later Hermansson took on Ion Pascu on April 18, 2014, at Cage Warriors: Fight Night 11. He won by unanimous decision, the first decision victory of his career.

Hermansson challenged for the promotional title against veteran and fellow former Bellator fighter Norman Paraisy on June 7, 2014, at Cage Warriors 69. He became the champion after he defeated Paraisy by submission due to a rear-naked choke at the end of round 4.

Hermansson defended his title against Deyan Topalski on August 22, 2014, at Cage Warriors 71. He won the fight by TKO in the first round.

In February 2015, the Cage Warriors promotion would become inactive after changing the leading staff. When and if the organization would return to make new events were unclear. Hermansson himself would be out of action due to injuries for almost a year.

Hermansson returned in a title fight in British promotion Warrior Fight Series against UFC veteran Karlos Vemola on August 1, 2015, at Warrior Fight Series 4. He won the fight by submission due to an armbar in the first round to become the WFS champion.

Hermansson was scheduled to face Kévin Del on November 29, 2015, at Lion FC 6 for the promotional championship. However, Del would later withdraw from the contest citing an injury, and the bout was scrapped altogether.

Next Hermansson instead fought undefeated polish fighter Maciej Rozanski on December 12, 2015, at Venator FC 2. Hermansson won the fight by unanimous decision.

Hermansson was supposed to defend his WFS title on February 13, 2016, at Warrior Fight Series 5. No opponent was set, and later it was announced by the promotion that the title defense would not materialize at that event.

On February 11, 2016, after almost one and a half year of inactivity, Cage Warriors announced their return. Hermansson defended his CWFC title against Alan Carlos on the first event after the promotion's return on April 15, 2016, at Cage Warriors 75. He won the fight by knockout in the ending sequences of round three.

Hermansson faced Ireneusz Cholewa on May 21, 2016, at Venator FC 3. Hermansson won the fight via TKO in round 3.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2016

On May 31, 2016, it was announced that Hermansson had signed with the UFC. He made his promotional debut against Scott Askham on September 3, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 93. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Hermansson next faced Cezar Ferreira on November 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 100. He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

2017

Next Hermansson faced Alex Nicholson on May 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 109. This was the first time in his professional career that Hermansson fought in his native Sweden. He won the fight by TKO in the first round.

Hermansson next fought Brad Scott on August 5, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 114. He won the fight by TKO in the first round.

Hermansson faced Thiago Santos on October 28, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 119. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

2018

Hermansson faced Thales Leites on May 12, 2018, at UFC 224. Hermansson suffered a serious rib injury (costochondral separation) after being taken down in the first round. However, despite being in severe pain, he survived several submission attempts in the first and second round, and was able to rally back and win the fight via TKO in the third round.

Hermansson faced Gerald Meerschaert on December 15, 2018, at UFC on Fox 31. He won the fight by a guillotine choke submission in the first round.

2019

Hermansson next faced David Branch on March 30, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 2. He won the fight via submission due to a guillotine choke, 49 seconds into the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Hermansson had a quick turnaround as he replaced an injured Yoel Romero to face former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza on April 27, 2019, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 150. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

On July 17, it was reported that Hermansson signed a 6-fight deal with UFC.

Hermansson faced Jared Cannonier on September 28, 2019, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 160. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

2020

Hermansson was expected to face Chris Weidman on May 2, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead he faced Kelvin Gastelum on July 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 172. Hermansson won the fight by submission due to a heel hook in the first round.

Hermansson was scheduled to face Darren Till on December 5, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 19. However, Till was forced out of the bout on November 6 due to injury. Hermansson was then scheduled to face Kevin Holland at the event instead. The fight with Holland fell through on November 28 when it was revealed that Holland tested positive for COVID-19. Hermansson faced Marvin Vettori at the event instead. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

2021

Hermansson was scheduled to face Edmen Shahbazyan on May 15, 2021, at UFC 262. However, due to Hermansson contracting COVID-19 the bout was postponed and took place at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt on May 22, 2021. He won the fight via unanimous decision after taking over with his grappling in rounds two and three.

Hermansson faced Sean Strickland on February 5, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 200. He lost the fight via split decision.

Personal life

Hermansson was raised in Uddevalla, Sweden with his five siblings before moving to Norway when he was 19 years old to find work. He settled in Oslo, where he also started training in MMA. He has said that he identifies as both Swedish and Norwegian, and when he fights, he represents both Sweden and Norway. Before focusing full-time on his fighting career he had various jobs, including working in a pet store, being a bartender and as a substitute teacher.

He and his girlfriend, Nora, have been in a relationship since 2012.

Hermansson competed against fellow UFC contender Khamzat Chimaev in a freestyle wrestling match on November 19, 2021, at Sweden-based Bulldog Fight Night 9, losing on points.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Marvin Vettori.

Performance of the Night (One time) vs. David Branch.

Most significant strikes landed in a 5-round middleweight bout (148) vs. Ronaldo Souza.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship

CWFC Middleweight Championship (One time).

Two successful title defenses.

Undefeated in the CWFC (7–0).

Warrior Fight Series

WFS Middleweight Championship (One time).

East Coast Fight Factory

ECFF Middleweight Championship (One time).

Nordic MMA Awards - MMAViking.com

2014 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year.

2018 Nordic Fighter of the Year.

2018 Comeback of the Year vs. Thales Leites.

2019 Submission of the Year vs. David Branch.

2019 Fighter of the Year.

2020 Submission of the Year vs. Kelvin Gastelum.

CombatPress.com

2019 Upset of the Year vs. Ronaldo Souza.

Submission Wrestling

Oslo Submission Series

OSS 2 (2016) Super Fight Winner.