Anthony’s “fluffy” Hernandez made quite a statement on a one-sided moller before suffocating Rome’s Doritze at the UFC Vegas 109 main event on Saturday night.
After absorbing some early strikes in the opening round, Hernandez mashed down the gas pedal, ran over Drizze, offering a punishing amount of strikes, knocking him down freely. Ultimately, Hernandez overwhelmed Doritze before robbing the rear choke that the veteran middleweight forced him to tap out to finish the fight.
The suspension came at 2:45 in the fourth round, with Hernandez winning eight consecutive overall wins.
“I was angry from the final fight that came in with a torn rib. It went to a decision,” Hernandez said after the victory. “I had to do what I had to do to win. This time I wanted to show my hands, my f*cking wrestling, my jiu-jitsu. I can do everything.
“I want a title shot. What will I do?
The first minutes of the fight were the only time Dritze really lived on after he had undoubtedly connected with the evil punch that attracted Hernandez’s attention, but “Fluffy” invited him into an even bigger exchange. Hernandez began to connect with his own punches, and Dritze reacted to every shot that landed.
Dolidze ultimately fought back with a hard jab and another power punch, but Hernandez seemed to be in stages in anything. He eventually shot inside for another takedown, but rather than working for his grappling, Hernandez just let Drizze go back to his feet again.
Hernandez then invited Dritze to throw along with him in the center of the octagon as the middleweights began to drop the bombs. Again and again, Hernandez had consistently landed better shots, and Hernandez was begging more.
Hernandez, well known for his incredible conditioning, also put pressure on Dorise, pushing a nearly unparalleled pace. Hernandez was snapping from the punch, and Drizze went to the retreat just trying to stop a potential finish.
As a result, Hernandez returned the fight to the ground and began to punch him just before the second round ended.
Over time, Drizze only admitted a takedown when Hernandez immediately put pressure on him from behind. Hernandez was relentless and paid his penalty, making it much more difficult to survive Drisze’s work.
In a flash, Hernandez blasted Dritze with his huge right hand, and Georgia’s middleweight was clearly in decline. Hernandez was abusing Doritze as the bad condition worsened as each moment expired.
Finally, midway through the fourth round, Dolidze actually got a deducted point to grab the cage repeatedly, but Hernandez continued his attack and snatched the rear choke that mercilessly ended the fight. After the first round, it was one-way traffic that got the submission finish after Hernandez completely outperformed Dries.
This latest victory clearly brings Hernandez to a step forward in the division, but it remains to be seen whether he will actually be in the title competition. With Reinier de Ridder recently defeating Robert Whittaker and Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho booked in September, it’s likely that Hernandez will have to continue to move up the ranks, but at £185 has proven to be a serious threat to everyone.
“I want to prove that I can take the title,” Hernandez said. “I want a belt, I want something. I want to prove I’m the best in the world.”