Anthony Hernandez gives six-word reaction to potential Israel Adesanya fight after UFC Vegas 99 victory
Anthony Hernandez has put forth a concise reaction to the suggestion of a possible fight against combat sports megastar Israel Adesanya. In the aftermath of his dominant victory in his most recent fight, Hernandez seemed willing to take on 'The Last Stylebender.'
Hernandez secured a fifth-round TKO victory against Michel Pereira in their middleweight clash that headlined UFC Vegas 99 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Oct. 19, 2024. 'Fluffy' is on a six-fight win streak, currently stands at No. 13 in the official UFC middleweight rankings, and has now beaten the No. 14-ranked Pereira.
Meanwhile, Israel Adesanya is a former two-time UFC middleweight champion. The Nigeria-born Kiwi combatant is one of the biggest draws in MMA but has lately suffered multiple setbacks. He's 2-3 in his past five fights, most recently losing via fourth-round submission to reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in Aug. 2024.
During his UFC Vegas 99 post-fight press conference segment, America's Anthony Hernandez was notably asked whether, based on the performances he's seen in his division, he feels anybody over there could keep up with his pace. 'Fluffy' replied, saying:
"No. I mean, like, I think it would be a great fight, realistically, would be -- who I see that mixes it up very well is [Dricus] du Plessis. He mixes it very f**king well, and that's why he's champion right now. You know what I mean? He's a tough motherf**ker, and he goes. He looks like he's gassed, but he keeps pushing. I would love to fight him. I'm just going to keep climbing the ladder till I can get to him. And just, good job to him. Keep up the great work, man."
A media member pointed out that Israel Adesanya needs an opponent. When asked if Adesanya is someone he'd like to fight, Hernandez issued a six-word response stating:
"I don't care. I'll fight him."
Check out Anthony Hernandez's reaction below (0:45):
Watch Hernandez's post-fight press conference segment below (*comments at 9:52):
Anthony Hernandez expresses respect for Israel Adesanya, other potential opponents
During ESPN MMA's UFC Post Show, one of the hosts, veteran UFC fighter Michael Chiesa, listed Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Caio Borralho, Jared Cannonier, and Roman Dolidze as Hernandez's next potential opponents. Chiesa proposed that 'Fluffy' could face one of them at the UFC's expected event in California in Jan. 2025.
Anthony Hernandez deemed them all as "really good." He was previously booked to fight Roman Dolidze at UFC 302 (June 2024) but withdrew owing to a hand injury. After Hernandez expressed interest in fighting Dolidze, the panel indicated that the matchup would be feasible from a rankings perspective.
It was highlighted that Dolidze is fresh off a stoppage win over Kevin Holland, who's incidentally the last person to defeat Hernandez. The 31-year-old Californian underscored that he's willing to fight anyone who'll get him close to a title shot:
"I really don't care. I know 'Izzy' [Israel Adesanya] is the best. Like, he's killed it, man. I got nothing but respect for the guy. I know he just lost, and I don't like kicking a guy while he's down. So give me someone who's been winning. And he's up there. That's just how I feel."
Watch Anthony Hernandez's assessment below (3:13):