This past Saturday night in the main event of UFC Vegas 99, we saw a big time matchup in the middleweight division pairing two surging contenders against each other. Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez (13-2) was looking for his sixth straight win as he took on Michel Pereira (31-12).
Hindsight is 20/20 and boy was I wrong about this fight. Michel Pereira had looked like a destroyer at 185 pounds since moving up. Without having to deplete his body to make 170, Pereira had flourished scoring three first round finishes against solid competition. Because of that, I was shocked he was the betting underdog on Saturday night.
Yes, Hernandez had won five in a row and was tough as hell, but I struggled to see the clear advantage for him. Well, it took only a few minutes at UFC Vegas 99 to see the advantage. Pereira started hot and landed huge body shots that hurt Hernandez early. However, after Hernandez survived the barrage in the opening minute, the fight was essentially over.
I knew Hernandez had better cardio, but I didn’t expect Pereira to gas out so quickly especially at middleweight. After surviving early, Hernandez just put it on Pereira. Pressure striking, cage control, takedowns. Pereira just had no answer for the pace of Hernandez. It was a very dominant performance by Fluffy who picked up the fifth round TKO on Saturday night.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 99?
Having won six fights in a row, it’s time for Hernandez to take that next step up. In my opinion, I think he’s ready for top ten competition to see if he has a real shot to eventually challenge for the UFC middleweight title. With that in mind, who should he face next?
In looking at the middleweight division, I see a few options in the top ten that could make a lot of sense. Paulo Costa is a name that immediately jumps out at me. Costa is coming off a loss against Sean Strickland, but he’s ranked tenth just two spots ahead of Hernandez. Getting Fluffy in there with a former title challenger who has fought the best of the best at 185 would be a big fight for him.
I could also see a fight against Brendan Allen. Allen had his winning streak snapped by Nassourdine Imavov back at UFC Paris last month. Allen will be looking to bounce back and Hernandez needs a big win. I could see that being a potential fight. Roman Dolidze is another name I’m watching following his win over Kevin Holland earlier this month. Any of those three would be good next steps for Hernandez as he tries to become a top contender.