Jack Hermansson apologizes following "a bad performance", wishes Sean Strickland to "murder" his next competition 

Jack Hermansson has sent a heartfelt apology to his fans after losing to Sean Strickland.

Middleweight contenders Sean Strickland and Jack Hermansson needed 25 minutes to determine the better fighter. Relying on his stand-up game, Strickland outpointed Hermansson and was declared the winner via a split decision.

Leading up to the fight, the pair had a gentlemen's agreement that they would not take the fight to the ground. However, Hermansson decided to swoop in for a couple of takedowns but to no avail. In the end, Strickland's striking prevailed and handed 'The Joker' his fifth loss under the UFC banner.

Reflecting on his defeat, Hermansson posted a short poem on Instagram to summarize his "bad performance". He also wished Strickland the "best of luck" in dismantling his next opponent:

"I'm sorry fans, about tonight. I had a bad performance, and I lost the fight. It wasn't pretty, or technically sound. I couldn't get the bastard to the ground. Sorry Sean [Strickland] this one went to a decision. Best of luck to murder your next competition"

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Sean Strickland feels the same about his performance

Despite registering his sixth UFC win in a row, Sean Strickland is well aware that it wasn't his best performance. In fact, the official scorecards stated that rounds 1 and 3 against Hermansson were the only rounds 'Tarzan' has lost since his return to the 185-pound weight class. In simple terms, it was an underwhelming performance from the 30-year-old American.

Like Hermansson, Strickland also apologized to his fans during his octagon interview. According to the Anaheim native, he was "being a pansy" for the most part and had probably let the "pressure" get to him at one point:

“I’m sorry guys. I was being a pansy. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown. Maybe I let the pressure get to me. I was fighting like a b****. I think I just let the win bonus get the better of me. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown more.”

Watch Strickland's full octagon interview below: