“He’s f***ing very dangerous, very explosive,” Hernandez said. “(He) hits hard. He’s got a bunch of great attributes. But after two rounds, how athletic is he? He’s not very athletic. He starts shooting. He starts wrestling. He starts making mistakes. That’s perfect for me, stylistically, on paper. That’s f***ing perfect, but obviously, I got to get past all the crazy bulls***. If I f***ing keep a solid 1-2 in his face, that should get me right in range.”
Hernandez said he will need to maintain his composure if Pereira gets deep into his bag of tricks, and that’s sort of been the fun contradiction of his winning streak. Despite the trash talk and occasional taunting, Hernandez fights like a mindful and disciplined athlete. He just so happens to love melting the man in front of him.
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On October 19, Hernandez gets the biggest opportunity of his career. He acknowledges his UFC tenure got off to a slow start, but he also learned his lessons from that 1-2 stretch to open his account. Now, he’s on the precipice of a breakout performance, and perhaps even a run toward the title picture in 2025.
“At the end of the day, when I get in the cage, it’s, ‘F*** you, fight me, b****.’ It’s as simple as that. I’m going to be there every second. Like a little f***ing fly in your face bugging you.
“I’m just going to show everyone that the next champ is here. That’s the goal. That’s what it’s always been. This fight just shows that I’m going to get closer and closer. So be ready, motherf***ers.”