Anthony Hernandez continues to soar in the UFC’s middleweight division, and he promises to take the belt one day.
Hernandez was tasked with taking on Roman Dolidze in the main event of UFC Vegas 109. Going into the bout, Dolidze hadn’t been finished in his pro MMA career. “Fluffy” became the first man to do so, securing a fourth-round submission via rear-naked choke. The finish earned Hernandez a “Performance of the Night” bonus and extended his winning streak to eight.
During the UFC Vegas 109 post-fight press conference, Hermandez made quite the vow when talking to reporters (h/t MMAFighting).
“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 every day. All I know is violence and war. Give me a title shot, and I promise I’ll be the next champ.”
You’ll have to go back to March 2020 to find Hernandez’s most recent loss. It was a 39-second TKO defeat to Kevin Holland. Since that fight, “Fluffy” has gone on a tear, defeating the likes of Brendan Allen, Michel Pereira, and now Dolidze.
So, how long does Hernandez have to wait for a crack at UFC gold? Reinier de Ridder, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho are ahead of him in terms of facing the winner of the UFC 319 title fight between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. With that said, Hernandez might be able to slide his way into a No. 1 contender bout given his momentum.
Anthony Hernandez will be in attendance in Chicago to witness DDP vs. Chimaev.
