TLDR
- Jack Hermansson suffered a first-round knockout loss to Myktybek Orolbai at UFC Qatar on November 22
- The 37-year-old was making his welterweight debut after competing at middleweight throughout his career
- This marked Hermansson’s second consecutive first-round knockout loss following a June defeat to Gregory Rodrigues
- Fans expressed concern for Hermansson’s health and called for him to retire on social media
- Hermansson posted on Instagram that he still loves fighting and has no plans to retire
Jack Hermansson Knocked Out at UFC Qatar in Welterweight Debut
Jack Hermansson suffered another knockout loss at UFC Qatar on Saturday night. The 37-year-old middleweight veteran was knocked out by Myktybek Orolbai in the first round.
Hermansson was making his welterweight debut after spending his entire UFC career at 185 pounds. The move down a weight class came after a difficult loss in June.
The fight ended when Orolbai landed a straight right hand that grazed the side of Hermansson’s head. Slow-motion replays showed the punch didn’t land clean but still knocked Hermansson unconscious.
Orolbai landed a follow-up strike but it wasn’t necessary as Hermansson was already out cold. The referee stopped the fight immediately.
This was Hermansson’s second consecutive first-round knockout loss. He was previously knocked out by Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 317 in June.
The back-to-back knockouts raised concerns among fans about Hermansson’s health. Many took to social media asking the veteran fighter to retire.
“Please retire, Jack,” one fan wrote on social media. Another added, “Cut Hermansson before someone kills him.”
“Please retire, Jack. We love you, but no more,” a third person posted. Several other fans echoed similar concerns about his brain health.
Fighter Responds to Retirement Calls
Hermansson addressed the loss in an Instagram post shortly after the fight. He acknowledged the difficult defeat but made his intentions clear.
“Have a look at your ugly face in the mirror and remember that you got knocked out AGAIN yesterday,” Hermansson wrote. He said it would be easy to feel sorry for himself but that wouldn’t help.
The Swedish fighter thanked his family, team, fans and sponsors. He ended his statement by saying he still loves the sport.
Hermansson is now a 34-fight veteran who has competed in the UFC since 2016. He has faced top competition at middleweight throughout his career.
Opponent’s Background
Myktybek Orolbai entered the fight with a 4-1 UFC record and 14-2-1 overall MMA record. The 27-year-old was also making his welterweight debut.
Orolbai previously competed at lightweight and various catchweights in the UFC. His only UFC loss came via split decision to Mateusz Rębecki in a contested fight.
The knockout of Hermansson was surprising given Orolbai’s previous fighting style. His two prior UFC wins came by unanimous decision and kimura submission.
Orolbai had not shown significant knockout power before Saturday night. This made the devastating knockout of Hermansson even more concerning for fans.
It remains unclear whether Hermansson will attempt another fight at welterweight. He could also choose to return to middleweight for his next bout.
The UFC has not announced what’s next for either fighter following Saturday’s result.
