Cage Warriors Champ Jack Hermansson Signs with UFC, Debuts Against Scott Askham in Germany

Ultimate Fighting Championship has retained the services of one of Europe’s most talented middleweights: Jack Hermansson.

Hermansson is the reigning middleweight champion of leading British organization Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, who this week confirmed that “The Joker” has made the move to the Octagon.

According to a Tuesday report from The Sun, Hermansson will make his UFC debut against Englishman Scott Askham on Sept. 3, when the company touches down in Germany for a UFC Fight Night card. The show, which will air live from Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight duel between Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett.

Hermansson, 27, enters the UFC on an eight-fight winning streak, just over one week removed from his third-round stoppage of Ireneusz Cholewa at Venator FC 3 in Italy. The only blemishes on the Norwegian fighter’s 13-2 record came in Bellator MMA, where Hermansson had a brief and forgettable stint in 2012-13.

Askham, 28, has alternated wins and losses in his four bouts under the UFC banner, but his two victories have come in the form of crushing knockouts. Most recently, the South Yorkshire native took out Chris Dempsey with a first-round head kick and punches at February’s UFC Fight Night in London.