How Another Win for ‘Fluffy’ Can Put Him in the Title Shot Conversation
Ahead of this week’s UFC Fight Night, top-five Middleweights Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez prepare to square off in a five-round main event. This will be Strickland’s first fight in over a year, with his last appearance being a battle for the belt against Dricus Du Plessis, who was the Middleweight champion at the time. Hernandez came off a submission victory back in August against Roman Dolidze, where the former won via rear-naked choke in the fourth round. This upcoming bout for ‘Fluffy’ holds significant weight for the future of the Middleweight Division. With a dominant victory, he could put himself in serious conversations for a title shot.
The Middleweight Division belt is currently held by the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev, who put on a grappling masterclass against Du Plessis to acquire the title. Chimaev has yet to lose a fight, which presents a huge challenge for the rest of the division’s top-ranked fighters. Some rumors speculate that his next opponent could be Nassourdine Imavov, another highly ranked fighter in the division. With the current uncertainty of Chimaev’s next fight, there is room for Hernandez to prove himself. If he is to walk away from Saturday’s main event victorious and without a scratch, then there is a chance he could be next up for a championship bout later this year.
Hernandez has been on a tear throughout his tenure on the UFC roster, sitting with a 15-2 record and an eight-fight win streak. Six of those eight wins were finishes, which proves that Hernandez is one of the most exciting fighters in the division and the roster as a whole. These stats give ‘Fluffy’ an advantage when it comes to the current waitlist for the next title shot. It also gives him extreme momentum going into this fight against Strickland, who also made some controversial comments in a recent interview towards Hernandez and his culture. Whether this is a tactic to get in the latter’s head or just Strickland being who he is, ‘Fluffy’ still has been much more impressive in his recent bouts. A victory for him could help secure a guaranteed title shot in the near future.
