UFC Lightweight contender Alexander Hernandez returns after a successful revamp in his career, now training under coach Marc Montoya at Factory X MMA in Colorado. This new and improved version of Hernandez is ready to take on BJJ specialist, Thiago Moises on February 27th.
“The Great” is coming off an amazing flush KO win over Chris Gruetzmacher last Halloween, where he looked better than ever. Hernandez attributes his success to his camp switch to Factory X, where his arsenal of weapons were sharpened, along with his mental approach to his fights.
“Before I would try to get so high, I don’t [expletive] about. I take things so seriously and on my heart, I’m my harshest critic. I’ve always been. That’s kind of where that idea of like being kind to myself came about, because I was like I could be doing 10 things right, but if one thing goes wrong, I’m in my head. Like, how could you let that single thing go [expletive] south? Why would you do that? I would dwell on it too much.
“Sometimes the music I was listening to, you know, I try to get too high. I was, you know, I was always just trying to get up, just trying to get hyped and get, and get, get in it. And I realized, um, that that’s not, that’s not, that’s not, it, that’s just not, it it’s better to be neutral. It’s better to be cool, better, be composed, a better to be just calm in the moment. And I, I started like really jamming in joints, um, Fleetwood while I’m making some French toast the mornings. And I was like, man, this is quiet for me. So, so I started, uh, I started just jamming to that every day to the gym and I was feeling it just like that whole, um, that whole album. And I, uh, I just kinda likes to let him go.
“I started flowing. I stopped trying. So God damn hot. Uh, I stopped, uh, uh, I just stopped. I stopped with all these like wild expectations of myself and just started going in and being present in the moment and you know, it shut, I popped off. And so.
“He’s game.” Hernandez told MMA Island. “I think he’s done well in accruing the wins he has. I just don’t think, I almost don’t even believe that he has the merit for those wins. Like the [Michael] Johnson victory– kind of pulled it off in the second round. I thought it was kind of like a weak attempt at a heel hook. Michael just kind of woke up clueless and had no idea. He just sort of watched the process happen.”
“He didn’t know how to respond. It was like, you never seen somebody attack his foot before. That’s just completely a whole different world, you know, than what [Moises] would see with me.”
“Then with the Bobby Green fight, I thought Bobby look, you know, Bobby normally shows up and I thought he looked a little flat that fight and Thiago, I did need to do what he did, what he needed to do to win.
“But again, I’m not impressed. I know he’s a threat. I know he’s dangerous. He’s won caliber fights in a row now. Big finishes. So, he definitely gets this type of approval for a fight. But, I don’t see him as a threat outside of a puncher’s chance. I’m not expecting anything. I plan to go out there just like I did at the last fight and just execute on the practice when I’ve been working on.”
“If it goes to the ground then hooray for me. If it’s on the feet, even more satisfying. So, you know what, whatever, either direction.”
Who are you backing in this one? Alexander Hernandez or Thiago Moises?