Sean Strickland continues his middleweight climb, defeats Jack Hermansson in UFC Fight Night

The controversial Sean Strickland continues his rise in the UFC's middleweight division.

Strickland defeated Jack Hermansson via split decision (49-46, 47-48, 49-46) Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Strickland used his jab to keep Hermansson at bay the entire fight. Hermansson did not succeed on any takedown attempts and Strickland was clearly the superior tactical striker, albeit not an aggressive one.

«I was being a pansy,» Strickland said in his postfight interview. «I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown like I did at the end. Maybe, I let the pressure get to me. Again, sorry. I was fighting like a b---- out there. Sorry.… Lesson learned. Won't happen again.»

Coming in, ESPN had Hermansson ranked No. 8 in the world at middleweight and Strickland at No. 10. Strickland said he'll fight whoever the UFC wants next, but he would prefer a title shot next. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defends the belt at UFC 271 next week against former champion Robert Whittaker. Strickland said he'd love to compete against the winner.

«I'm a company man, I'll fight who you put in front of me,» Strickland said. «But if he has the belt, I'll be very happy.»

The crass Strickland has been criticized for insensitive comments he has made over the last few months, in addition to several in-gym sparring mishaps that surfaced on social media. Last August, Strickland said that he «would love nothing more than to kill somebody in the ring» and that it would make him «super happy.» Strickland tweeted in December that he'd feel like he «failed as a man» if he had a gay son.

On Saturday, Hermansson got off to a solid start in the first round with calf kicks. But Strickland got into a rhythm pretty quickly,