Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez made quite a statement with a one-sided mauling before choking out Roman Dolidze in the UFC Vegas 109 main event Saturday night.
After absorbing some early strikes in the opening round, Hernandez just mashed down on the gas pedal and ran roughshod over Dolidze, delivering a punishing amount of strikes and taking him down at will. Eventually, Hernandez just overwhelmed Dolidze before snatching a rear-naked choke that forced the veteran middleweight to tap out to end the fight.
The stoppage came at 2:45 in the fourth round with Hernandez securing his eighth win in a row overall.
“I was pissed off my last fight I came in with torn ribs. It went to decision,” Hernandez said after the win. “I just had to do what I had to do to win. This time, I wanted to come show the f*ck out with my hands, my f*cking wrestling, my jiu-jitsu. Show I can do everything.
“I want a title shot. What do I f*cking got to do? I work my butt off. I push myself to the limit everyday. All I know is violence and war. Give me a title shot and I promise I’ll be the next champ.”
The first few minutes of the fight was the only time Dolidze really stayed alive after he connected with a thudding punch that definitely got Hernandez’s attention but “Fluffy” almost invited him into even bigger exchange on the feet. Hernandez started to connect with punches of his own and Dolidze was reacting to every shot landed.
Dolidze eventually fired back with a stiff jab and another power punch but Hernandez just seemed unphased by anything. He eventually shot inside for another takedown but rather than work for his grappling, Hernandez just invited Dolidze back to the feet again.
Hernandez then just invited Dolidze to throw down with him in the center of the octagon as the middleweights just started dropping bombs. Again and again, Hernandez was consistently landing the better shots and Hernandez was just begging for more.
Well known for his remarkable conditioning, Hernandez was also pressuring Dolidze and pushing an almost unmatchable pace. Hernandez was snapping off punches and Dolidze was going in retreat just trying to stave off a potential finish.
That led to Hernandez taking the fight back to the ground where he started hammering away with punches just before the second round ended.
As time passed, Dolidze was almost just conceding the takedowns with Hernandez immediately pressuring from the back position. Hernandez was relentless, dishing out punishment and making Dolidze work that much harder to survive.
Back on the feet momentarily, Hernandez blasted Dolidze with a huge right hand and the Georgian middleweight was clearly fading. Hernandez was just battering Dolidze as bad went to worse as each minute expired.
Finally midway through the fourth round, Dolidze actually got a point deducted for repeatedly grabbing the cage but Hernandez just continued his assault until finally snatching a rear-naked choke that mercifully ended the fight. It was one-way traffic after the first round with Hernandez completely running over Dolidze before getting the submission finish.
With this latest win, Hernandez obviously takes a step forward in the division, although it remains to be seen if he actually gets into title contention. With Reinier de Ridder recently defeating Robert Whittaker, and Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho booked in September, it’s more likely Hernandez has to continue his climb up the ranks, but he’s proven to be a serious threat to anybody at 185 pounds.
“I want to prove that I can take the title,” Hernandez said. “I want a belt, I want something. I want to prove I’m the best in the world.”
