For fighters, new beginnings are often wrapped in unfamiliarity. Making a shift to a new fight camp brings with it new coaches, teammates, and surroundings. A stressful time like this is made more difficult as fighters are forced to sink or swim in these new waters. For Ed Herman, however, a change in fight camps meant a return home. Reuniting with his Jiu Jitsu coach, Fabiano Scherner, and joining a growing fight team at Gracie Barra Portland has allowed Herman to find his footing on a new path, in a new division. This Saturday night at UFC 201 in Atlanta, Georgia, Ed Herman will look to get his second win in a row at 205 lbs as he takes on the number 11 ranked fighter in the division, Nikita Krylov. With his roots taking hold back in the Pacific Northwest, Herman is truly growing as a fighter, and to hear him tell it this was exactly what he needed.
“This team at Gracie Barra Portland is great. When I first got back out here it was a small team and it has really grown. We have a lot of great young guys here … Fabiano is [one of] my original Jiu Jitsu coaches and we have always stayed in contact. And when he opened Gracie Barra, that was one of the reasons I came back, to train with him.”
With Herman back in Portland and being able to train with Professor Scherner, he doesn’t have to spend so much of his time training other fighters. When he was living in Colorado and running a gym, he didn’t always have the time to devote to himself. Even though coaching is a passion for Herman, this newfound freedom has been greatly beneficial.
“It’s nice to just be able to focus on me. Go to the gym and train … to be able to focus on myself is definitely good for my fighting career. It gives me more time with my family too; it’s a nice transition. “
Smooth transitions and reunited friendships aside, Herman understands that the time is now for him to make a push in the light heavyweight division. One of the shallowest weight classes in the UFC, light heavyweight has a pretty steep drop-off once you get outside the top four in the division. At 35 years old, Herman is making what could be his last run at a title, and he believes there is no time like the present.
“I am a new face [at light heavyweight] and hopefully I can get in there and shake things up, bring some excitement to the division and get some wins … I think light heavyweight is wide open. Jon Jones is looking like he’s out and he’s the only one that looked unbeatable. DC is older than me; there are a lot of aging guys in the division. They are bringing in some talented young guys but I haven’t been super impressed with anybody.”
Herman expressed that even though not many of the fighters coming up impressed him the same was not true for Krylov. He made it clear that he believes Krylov has earned his position in the division. And while Herman has great respect for his opponent, he doesn’t believe the UFC has paid him or Krylov much respect by placing them on the undercard.
“[Getting put on the undercard] used to bother me more. I’ve seen it come and go over the years. More popular guys come in and get the opportunity, that’s just how it is. With us not being on the main card and with Nikita being ranked number 11 it’s a bit of a slap in the face. But we will have a great fight, people will love it and they’ll talk about it! That’s what my job is, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Some may remember Ed Herman for being a cocky young fighter who was rather vocal when it came time for the spotlight to be on him. During his time on season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter, he bragged about his skills and his good looks. He rubbed some people the wrong way but no one could deny his talent. Today, I am struck by just how mature and unselfish Herman has become. He would gladly talk to you about his coaches and the growing team at Gracie Barra before ever mentioning his upcoming UFC fights. When I asked Herman if he hoped that a win on Saturday would land him a spot on the recently announced UFC event in Portland, he was quick to put his teammates first.
“I would love to just go enjoy and watch the Portland card. I’d rather have some of my teammates on the card. Guys like Ryan Walker, Jake Smith, Ricky Simon. There are a lot of tough young guys who are local who deserve a spot on that card.”
Some people have written Ed Herman off. His inconsistency over the past few years has caused them to say that his best days are behind him. But thanks to a change in weight classes and a spectacular appearance inside the Octagon, Herman has silenced a handful of those critics. A win this Saturday would undoubtedly tip the scales even further in his favor. The change in weight class has him feeling better than he has in any of his past fights, he told me. To hear him talk about the way he’s felt leading up to this fight, you could almost hear that cocky young fighter in him coming back out.
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