Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez Eyes UFC Championship After Dominant Victory
Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez proved he was ready to compete for the UFC title with a strong performance on Saturday. Hernandez (15-2) dominated Roman Dolidze (15-4) at the UFC Fight Night held in Las Vegas, submitting the number 9 middleweight contender with a rear-naked choke at 2:45 of the fourth round. With this victory, he extended his streak to eight consecutive wins and immediately challenged the winner of next week’s title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago.The end came after Hernandez hurt Dolidze with a short right hand and an elbow, followed by knees to the head while Dolidze was defending against the cage. Dolidze appeared to be on the verge of a knockout from the blows, and Hernandez rotated around his body to secure the rear naked choke from a standing position. This was his ninth submission finish, although the finish was largely due to the strikes, something Hernandez had planned to showcase in this fight. According to UFC statistics, Hernandez outstruck Dolidze in total strikes by 108 to 47 and completed 9 of 11 takedowns. Dolidze’s corner informed him that he had lost the first three rounds before the fourth and urged him to seek a finish. However, the 37-year-old fighter was outmatched in every aspect and seemed mentally and physically exhausted at the time of the submission. This is Dolidze’s first loss since February 2024 and the first time he has been finished in his entire MMA career.I wanted to show off in this fight. I want a title shot. What do I have to do? This is all I know, violence and war. Give me a title shot and I promise I’ll be the next champion.
Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez
Representing the MMA Gold team in California, Hernandez has defeated opponents of the likes of Dolidze, Brendan Allen and Michel Pereira in his last three fights. Before Saturday’s fight, Hernandez was ranked number 10 in the division.
