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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
A middleweight matchup between Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer will headline a UFC Fight Night event Feb. 10, UFC CEO Dana White announced Thursday.
The event will take place inside the UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. It marks the first main event appearance for Pyfer, who is an alum of the Dana White Contender Series.
Hermansson (23-8) is officially ranked No. 10 in the division but has had an uneven road in the past few years. He is not fighting at all in 2023 because of injury, and is 2-3 in his past five bouts going back to 2020. The Swedish veteran is coming off a TKO loss to Roman Dolidze last December.
Pyfer (12-2) has generated hype at 185 pounds, thanks to three consecutive finishes since earning a UFC contract. The 27-year-old submitted Abdul Razak Alhassan in the second round in October. He has gone the distance only once in his professional MMA career.
The middleweight championship will be on the line one month prior to this main event, when defending champion Sean Strickland faces Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 on Jan. 20.