Tag: anthony hernandez

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez Booked For UFC Fight Night On Feb. 22

Ranked middleweights are set to run it back at a UFC Fight Night in the first quarter of the new year. Brendan Allen (24-6), who currently occupies the #9 spot in the middleweight top 15, had his charge toward a desired first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage stalled this past September. At the UFC […]

Ranked middleweights are set to run it back at a UFC Fight Night in the first quarter of the new year.

Brendan Allen (24-6), who currently occupies the #9 spot in the middleweight top 15, had his charge toward a desired first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage stalled this past September. At the UFC Fight Night in Paris, France’s own Nassourdine Imavov snapped the American’s seven-fight win streak to defend his place in the championship conversation.

“All In” will be looking for a quick rebound, and the chance to achieve that will come on Feb. 22 when he also has the opportunity to avenge a past defeat.

Per MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin, Allen is set to renew hostilities with Anthony Hernandez (13-2, 1 NC). “Fluffy” outpointed the top-10 contender back at LFA 32 in 2018, a result that earned him a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series and paved his path into the UFC.

A location is yet to be confirmed for the UFC Fight Night on Feb. 22, but Seattle is the reported target.

Before suffering defeat at the hands of Imavov, Allen had risen the ranks with submission victories over Andre Muniz, Bruno Silva, and Paul Craig, as well as a hard-fought main event decision against Chris Curtis.

Hernandez, meanwhile, has won six on the bounce since a knockout loss to Kevin Holland in 2020. That run includes memorable submissions of decorated BJJ specialist Rodolfo Vieira and Roman Kopylov, in addition to knockouts of Edmen Shahbazyan and Michel Pereira.

UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings. And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes. Women’s Pound-for-Pound: The bad fortune has continued […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings.

And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: The bad fortune has continued to come for Raquel Pennington. A few weeks on from losing the bantamweight title at UFC 307, “Rocky” has further fallen down the P4P ladder to #9, being usurped by a victor at that event in Kayla Harrison (#8).

Further down, Maycee Barber has entered at #15, replacing former strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos.

Women’s Strawweight: There was just one change at 115 pounds, with the rising Iasmin Lucindo (#7) swapping places with her fellow countrywoman Amanda Lemos (#8).

Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.

Flyweight: The biggest mover this week was Asu Almabayev, who has climbed a mammoth seven places to #7 after defeating Matheus Nicolau this past weekend. The defeated Brazilian, meanwhile, has dropped three spots to #10.

Further down, Charles Johnson’s latest victory this year has earned him the #15 spot. His entry has seen the removal of Matt Schnell, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year.

Bantamweight: Rob Font returned to winning ways at the expense of Kyler Phillips in Saturday’s co-headliner. As a result, the longtime contender has climbed one position to share #9 with Mario Bautista.

Featherweight: No changes.

Lightweight: Not long after UFC CEO Dana White used Max Holloway’s low spot in the 155-pound rankings as evidence that change is needed, “Blessed” has received a big boost. Ahead of his featherweight title challenge, the Hawaiian has risen by three places to #5 in the lightweight division.

That’s meant Dan Hooker’s stay in the top five was a brief one, with the New Zealander down to #6 after initially returning to the upper echelon of the weight class following a win over Mateusz Gamrot.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez has received a small reward for his main event win over Michel Pereira on Oct. 19. He’s up one spot to #12, leaving Khamzat Chimaev a position worse off at #13.

Light Heavyweight: After being snubbed of the latest shot at champion Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev has moved up one place to share the #1 rank in the division alongside former titleholder Ji?í Procházka.

Lower down the pecking order, Volkan Oezdemir has been relegated two spots to #8, providing small boosts for Nikita Krylov (#6) and recent title challenger Khalil Rountree (#7).

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings. And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes. Women’s Pound-for-Pound: The bad fortune has continued […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings.

And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: The bad fortune has continued to come for Raquel Pennington. A few weeks on from losing the bantamweight title at UFC 307, “Rocky” has further fallen down the P4P ladder to #9, being usurped by a victor at that event in Kayla Harrison (#8).

Further down, Maycee Barber has entered at #15, replacing former strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos.

Women’s Strawweight: There was just one change at 115 pounds, with the rising Iasmin Lucindo (#7) swapping places with her fellow countrywoman Amanda Lemos (#8).

Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.

Flyweight: The biggest mover this week was Asu Almabayev, who has climbed a mammoth seven places to #7 after defeating Matheus Nicolau this past weekend. The defeated Brazilian, meanwhile, has dropped three spots to #10.

Further down, Charles Johnson’s latest victory this year has earned him the #15 spot. His entry has seen the removal of Matt Schnell, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year.

Bantamweight: Rob Font returned to winning ways at the expense of Kyler Phillips in Saturday’s co-headliner. As a result, the longtime contender has climbed one position to share #9 with Mario Bautista.

Featherweight: No changes.

Lightweight: Not long after UFC CEO Dana White used Max Holloway’s low spot in the 155-pound rankings as evidence that change is needed, “Blessed” has received a big boost. Ahead of his featherweight title challenge, the Hawaiian has risen by three places to #5 in the lightweight division.

That’s meant Dan Hooker’s stay in the top five was a brief one, with the New Zealander down to #6 after initially returning to the upper echelon of the weight class following a win over Mateusz Gamrot.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez has received a small reward for his main event win over Michel Pereira on Oct. 19. He’s up one spot to #12, leaving Khamzat Chimaev a position worse off at #13.

Light Heavyweight: After being snubbed of the latest shot at champion Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev has moved up one place to share the #1 rank in the division alongside former titleholder Ji?í Procházka.

Lower down the pecking order, Volkan Oezdemir has been relegated two spots to #8, providing small boosts for Nikita Krylov (#6) and recent title challenger Khalil Rountree (#7).

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

After Snapping Pereira’s Streak, Anthony Hernandez Vows to Reach Dricus Du Plessis: “I’ll Show the F—k Out”

After Snapping Pereira's Streak, Anthony Hernandez Vows to Reach Dricus Du Plessis: “I’ll Show the F—k Out”After his dominant performance at UFC Vegas 99, Anthony Hernandez is ready for a shot at middleweight champion Dricus…

After Snapping Pereira's Streak, Anthony Hernandez Vows to Reach Dricus Du Plessis: “I’ll Show the F—k Out”

After his dominant performance at UFC Vegas 99, Anthony Hernandez is ready for a shot at middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

Saturday’s event inside The APEX saw its fair share of decisions with nine of the 11 fights going to the scorecards. However, the judges weren’t needed for the main event as Hernandez put it on opponent Michel Pereira for four full rounds before scoring a TKO just past the two-minute mark of the fifth.

Hernandez extended his unbeaten streak to six and outlanded Pereira by 128 significant strikes, a new single-fight UFC middleweight record. The record was previously held by Rich Franklin who outstruck David Loiseau by 106 strikes at UFC 58 all the way back in March 2006.

Anthony Hernandez

Hernandez also landed 97 significant ground strikes and attempted 29 takedowns, both single-fight records in the division.

Anthony Hernandez

Anthony Hernandez has his sights set on Dricus Du Plessis

As for what comes next, ‘Fluffy’ is keeping his eyes on the prize. That being the UFC middleweight world title.

“I think [what] would be a great fight realistically and who mixes it up really well would be Du Plessis,” Hernandez said at the post-fight press conference. “He mixes it very f*cking well, and that’s why he’s champion right now. He’s just a tough motherf*cker, and he goes.

“He looks like he’s gassed, and he keeps pushing. I’d love to fight him. I’m just going to keep climbing the ladder so I can get to him. Great job to him. Keep up the great work, man” (h/t MMA Mania).

Anthony Hernandez

Hernandez was previously scheduled to face Du Plessis in April 2022, but the bout never came to fruition. Since then, ‘DDP’ has gone on to become the middleweight division’s top dog, defeating Sean Strickland to take the title in January before successfully defending it against Israel Adesanya over the summer.

But as ready as he thinks he is, ‘Fluffy’ recognizes that he’ll likely have to go out there and win one or two more before getting that opportunity.

“Hopefully [I get a No. 1 contender fight next], but probably not,” Hernandez said. “There are guys ahead of me. I’m not stupid. I know how this sh*t works. It’s all about timing and sh*t. I’m just going to keep doing what I do. I’m going to stay ready, and when my time comes, I’m going to show the f*ck out, and I’ll get it eventually.”

Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win

UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez has a firm eye on Dricus Du Plessis and his gold. The fan favorite boosted his chances of booking a spot opposite the reigning champion at 185 pounds down the line on Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night card at the Apex, where he emerged victorious from his maiden main event. […]

Continue Reading Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win at MMA News.

UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez has a firm eye on Dricus Du Plessis and his gold.

The fan favorite boosted his chances of booking a spot opposite the reigning champion at 185 pounds down the line on Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night card at the Apex, where he emerged victorious from his maiden main event.

Hernandez emphatically ended the winning run of Michel Pereira, putting a beating on the Brazilian across four rounds before forcing the TKO stoppage in the final frame.

During his post-fight press conference, Hernandez outlined his plans to repeat the performance he put in all the way to the top.

When he gets there, the current title scenario in the middleweight division would see the #13-ranked contender challenge the reign of Du Plessis, which commenced at the expense of Sean Strickland at the start of 2024 and has already gone through Israel Adesanya.

Hernandez looked ahead to a potential clash with “Stillknocks” in the future with a respectful assessment of the champ’s style, which has continually proved fans and analysts wrong on MMA’s biggest stage.

“I think it would be a great fight. Realistically, who mixes it up really well would be Du Plessis,” Hernandez said. “He mixes it very f*cking well, and that’s why he’s champion right now. He’s just a tough motherf*cker and he goes. He looks like he’s gassed and he keeps pushing. I’d love to fight him. I’m just going to keep climbing the ladder so I can get to him. Great job to him. Keep up the great work, man.”

Hernandez would seem to have a decent chunk of work to do before standing opposite the middleweight kingpin, however.

And after defending his spot on the ladder this past weekend to make it six wins on the bounce, the 31-year-old will no doubt be setting his sights on the top 10 next time out.

Continue Reading Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win at MMA News.

‘2024 Beatdown Of The Year’ – Fans React As Anthony Hernandez Dominates Michel Pereira In UFC Fight Night Main Event

“Fluffy” has made a statement in a brutal manner, as Anthony Hernandez put a beating on Michel Pereira in the middleweight main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night. The first round ultimately proved to be a close one, with both men having their moments. Pereira made Hernandez take on barrages of shots, but the American […]

Continue Reading ‘2024 Beatdown Of The Year’ – Fans React As Anthony Hernandez Dominates Michel Pereira In UFC Fight Night Main Event at MMA News.

“Fluffy” has made a statement in a brutal manner, as Anthony Hernandez put a beating on Michel Pereira in the middleweight main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night.

The first round ultimately proved to be a close one, with both men having their moments. Pereira made Hernandez take on barrages of shots, but the American was able to survive and adjust, scoring takedowns and having the momentum at the end of the round.

“Demolidor” came out strong in the first 30 seconds of the second round, but his foe was able to bring relentless pressure throughout the rest of the round. “Fluffy” got Pereira in trouble with a pair of submission attempts and nearly finished the fight with striking on the ground.

Hernandez brought the fight back to the ground in the third and seemed to just have his way with him, with Pereira offering up no defense or answer to his positioning and attacks. This continued into the fourth before Hernandez bloodied up the Brazilian in the fifth, forcing a stoppage approximately halfway through the round.

Anthony Hernandez Batters Michel Pereira In One-Sided UFC Fight Night Main Event

Hernandez came into this fight on a five-fight win streak. Prior to tonight, he had most recently finished Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 this past February.

Pereira, meanwhile, entered this fight on a solid eight-fight win streak with victories over the likes of Micha? Oleksiejczuk, Andre Petroski, Santiago Ponzinibbio and, most recently at UFC 301, Ihor Potieria.

Continue Reading ‘2024 Beatdown Of The Year’ – Fans React As Anthony Hernandez Dominates Michel Pereira In UFC Fight Night Main Event at MMA News.