Last week, Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns put on a “Fight of the Year” contender which saw the two men go the distance in a back-and-forth brawl at UFC 273. But Socrates Hernandez and Rogelio Luna have now thrown their name in the hat.
The two up-and-coming Featherweights threw caution to the wind and put forth their best audition for a live adaptation of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots for 15 minutes on the undercard of Bellator 277, going down inside SAP Center in San Jose, California.
From the jump, the two men stood toe-to-toe and absolutely started throwing haymakers at one another, with each man landing shots while eating the best of which his foe had to offer. Luna seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges, but Hernandez hung in the pocket and took everything Luna could dish out.
And when I say everything…I mean everything.
THIS IS INSANE between Hernandez and Luna!#Bellator277 @MonsterEnergy prelims fueled by @NorthgateGlzMrk
?? https://t.co/Lje8Z6yfFh pic.twitter.com/SbeQZTmmPT
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) April 15, 2022
That round was WILD!
Hernandez vs. Luna, Round 2 kicks off NOW on the #Bellator277 @MonsterEnergy prelims fueled by @NorthgateGlzMrk
?? https://t.co/Lje8Z6yfFh pic.twitter.com/h6Z9x4lD0o
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) April 15, 2022
I have been watching a Game of Thrones style fight between Socrates Hernandez & Rogelio Luna. My god. @BellatorMMA #prelims pic.twitter.com/Qp1n87fAk4
— Amanda Guerra (@AmandaGuerraCBS) April 15, 2022
Luna would not stop, he was like The Terminator and Energizer Bunny rolled into one, he simply kept coming. While there wasn’t much technique in his striking, he was landing and Hernandez kept popping off some of his own while taking tons of punishment. In Round two, Hernandez nearly put an end to the fight with a rear-naked choke, but Luna managed to break free.
Once round three started, it was deja vu as they met in the center of the cage and starting unloading a barrage of strikes once again. Luna was relentless, never stopping for one second, landing body shots, elbows, knees to the point where the referee on duty had no other choice but to step in and put an end of the fight.
It was an impressive debut to say the least for Luna, but props has to be given to Hernandez for hanging tough while it lasted. While the two may not have the same name recognition of Chimaev and Burns, they proved to be must-see T.V., as well.
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