Whilst the MMA headlines this morning are decidedly dominated by PFL: Super Fights, that isn’t to say that fans should overlook UFC Vegas 99 after middleweight contender Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez put on a masterclass in the main event of the evening.
Following yet another highly impressive win under the bright lights of the UFC banner, Anthony Hernandez said that he’s ready to test himself with a Top 10 ranked opponent next – and we couldn’t agree more.
Anthony Hernandez puts on a masterclass against Michel Pereira at UFC Vegas 99
Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez certainly made the most of his first-ever UFC main event spot last night, putting on a stunning performance as he battered and bloodied Michel Pereira en route to a brutal fifth-round TKO stoppage.
Hernandez scored a career-best 10 takedowns and secured over 15 minutes of control time against the popular Brazilian, although the fight was far from simply a one-sided wrestling match.
Not only was ‘Fluffy’ able to showcase his insane grappling credentials but he had some much-improved striking skills on the feet too; landing 219 significant strikes over the course of the 22-ish minutes that the fight lasted, 82% of which landed to the head with vicious intent.
Anthony Hernandez wants a big name next following dominant Pereira KO
Speaking on the ESPN MMA post-show, Hernandez acknowledged that following his dominant win at UFC Vegas 99, he’s now staring down the barrel of the Top 10 fight next against one of the countless killers populating the middleweight division.
“Man, they’re all really f****** good, I was supposed to fight Roman Dolidze and that fell out, I don’t know where he’s at in the rankings, but I want someone that’s going to get me to the belt,” stated Hernandez, who is now 7-2 in the UFC and riding an impressive six-fight winning streak.
“I’ve always been given tough a** tests, I was booked to lose against Rodolfo [Vieira], and I came in, showed them like ‘Nah’ and submitted him – I really don’t care.
“I know that Izzy [Adesanya] is the best like he’s f**** killed it man, I got nothing but respect for the guy and I know he just lost, I don’t like kicking a guy while he’s down to give me someone who’s been winning and is up there.”
When asked about the possibility of facing Israel Adesanya at the post-fight press conference, Hernandez would simply state “I don’t care, I’ll fight him,” as he also teased the fascinating stylistic matchup that would come with facing current king Dricus Du Plessis.
“Nah, I mean I think what would be a great fight realistically – who I see as [someone] who mixes it up very well is Dricus Du Plessis; he mixes it up very f**** well and that’s why he’s champion now.
“He’s a tough mother***** and he goes; he looks like he’s gassed but he keeps pushing and I would love to fight him… I’m just going to keep climbing the ladder until I can get to him – good job to him, keep up the great work.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s update, Hernandez is the #13 ranked middleweight in the world; only five 185lbers ranked ahead of him are on winning streaks and are without their next fight booked: Jack Hermansson (#11), Roman Dolidze (#8), Caio Borralho (#5), Nassourdine Imavov (#4), and Sean Strickland (#1).
Following his win over Michel Pereira, Anthony Hernandez is now 13-2 as a professional, and 7-2 in the UFC.