UFC 143 Results: Ed Herman Now 3-0 Since Return from Injury

It took former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ season 3 competitor Ed Herman almost two years to bounce back from a devastating knee injury, but since his return he’s gone a flawless 3-0 with the third coming on Saturday night at UFC 143.

When fighting was taken away from Herman in 2009, the former Team Quest fighter had to go back to real life for a while just to support his family. Working as a bartender among other jobs, Herman literally had to earn his way back to the UFC, but he’s making the most of it now.

Facing former Arizona State wrestler Clifford Starks, a longtime training partner in college of UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez, Herman actually had his hands full with his opponent on the feet.

Starks landed some serious right hands during the opening minutes of the fight, keeping Herman on the defensive to prevent taking too much damage.

“He was landing some good right hands on me, luckily I’ve got a good chin, cause he hit me hard a few times,” Herman admitted after the fight.

Herman’s chin did serve him well because he took some shots, but like the Energizer bunny he kept on going.

Taking the wrestler to the mat with a quick sweep/trip, Herman quickly moved into position to lock on a rear naked choke. Starks tried mightily to fight it off, but his inexperience showed through and Herman locked up the hold even tighter.

“That sweep’s something I’ve been working on, it’s one of my favorites,” Herman said. “I know he’s a wrestler so his natural instinct is to give up his back. When I started attacking the choke, I didn’t feel him fighting it very hard so I kept looking for it and thankfully I got the finish.”

Starks is a young prospect who will learn from the experience and come back stronger. Meanwhile, Ed Herman is now a perfect 3-0 in the Octagon since his rebirth after the knee injury.

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Herman might be creeping into a top ten opponent for his next fight after a trio of dominant finishes.