Rivalries: Anthony Hernandez

A quiet climb toward condition has positioned Anthony Hernandez just outside the Top 10 rankings in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division.

“Fluffy” will square off with Kill Cliff Fight Club export Brendan Allen when their rematch headlines UFC Fight Night 252 this Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Hernandez took a unanimous decision from the South Carolina native in their first meeting a little more than seven years ago. He enters their second encounter with the wind of a six-fight winning streak at his back, having compiled a 7-2 record across his nine appearances inside the Octagon.

As Hernandez approaches his high-stakes clash with Allen at 185 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped him chart his course to this point:

Markus Perez

The former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder boosted his stock in the middleweight division when he submitted Hernandez with an anaconda choke in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 144 prelim on Feb. 2, 2019 at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil. The end came 67 seconds into Round 2. Perez remained calm in the face of immense forward pressure and let his skills do the rest. He gave Hernandez pause in the first round with an overhand left and right uppercut, followed later by a spinning back elbow. Perez doubled over the Dana White’s Contender Series alum early in Round 2, moved to his back in a standing position and framed the anaconda choke during a subsequent scramble before dragging him to the mat for the finish. It was the first setback of Hernandez’s career.

Kevin Holland

“Trailblazer” flexed his pandemic-era might when he cut down Hernandez with first-round knee strikes and follow-up punches as part of the UFC on ESPN 8 undercard on May 16, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Referee Michael Cardoso waved it off 39 seconds into Round 1. Operating in the shadows of the Alistair Overeem-Walt Harris main event, Holland staggered the MMA Gold Fight Team rep with an elbow over the top, forcing him to seek shelter in the clinch. There was none to be found. Holland hit the accelerator in close quarters, sent his counterpart crashing to the canvas with a series of knees—a brutal body blow did real damage—and closed it out with unanswered punches. It was his second sub-minute finish as a pro.

Rodolfo Vieira

Hernandez tapped the five-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships gold medalist with a guillotine choke in the second round of their featured UFC 258 prelim on Feb. 13, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Viera bowed out 1:53 into Round 2. Odds of a Hernandez submission victory were set at 30-to-1. Vieira executed a takedown inside the first minute, progressed to the back and threatened with a rear-naked choke and an armbar. Hernandez managed to escape, and it soon became clear that the Brazilian had emptied his gas tank. From there, it was all one-way traffic. Hernandez blasted away with power punches and appeared to have his adversary out on his feet on more than one occasion. He connected with a head kick, eventually cut Vieira above the left eye with a pair of standing elbows, snatched the arm-in guillotine and prompted the stunning stoppage.

Michel Pereira

The surging Hernandez took care of “Demolidor” with a volley of elbows in the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night 245 main event on Oct. 19, 2024 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Pereira succumbed to strikes 2:22 into Round 5, suffering his first defeat in more than four years. A relatively competitive start gave way to an epic beatdown. Hernandez leaned into a creative standup attacks, repeated takedowns and sustained ground-and-pound. He secured multiple takedowns in each of the final four rounds, racked up copious amounts of control time and tore into Pereira with punches, forearm strikes, hammerfists and elbows. Hernandez executed his last takedown in Round 5, moved to an advantageous position and unleashed a burst of elbows to seal the deal against the exhausted Brazilian. By the time it was over, he had outlanded Pereira by an outrageous 152-24 margin in significant strikes and completed 10 of his 29 takedown attempts.