Anthony Hernandez older, wiser, firing on all cylinders ahead of UFC Seattle

SEATTLE -- Some athletes are chronically online, spending heaps of time scrolling social media, recording content, and making sure they have a permanent presence in the space. They respond to positive and negative comments alike, offer up their fantasy matchmaking ideas, and spend weekend’s consuming as much MMA as possible, being sure to share their opinions on each and every bout that transpires.

And then there is Anthony Hernandez.

The surging middleweight, who faces off with Brendan Allen this weekend in Seattle, prefers to completely remove himself from the sport when he’s not in the throes of Fight Week, paying zero attention to anything else happening in the UFC or elsewhere.

“It probably helps a lot,” he said with a smile when asked about his “avoid at all costs” approach to the sport. “This shit is chaotic as (bleep), so when I’m outside of this, I like to be chill: go out in the woods, ride my dirt bikes, enjoy life.

“When I get the name on the table, that’s when I do my homework,” continued Hernandez, who carries a six-fight winning streak into this weekend’s co-main event pairing with Allen at Climate Pledge Arena. “The way I see it, the UFC has a plan for everything — they know who I’ve been wanting to fight. They know everything.

“So why the (bleep) am I gonna go talk hella shit and try to stir-up some dumbass drama? That’s little kid shit to me, plus I have little kids, so if I carry myself like a (expletive) idiot, how are my kids gonna carry themselves? For me, it’s try to be professional, try to be respectful, and if I do talk shit, it’s gonna be in the cage. That’s how I like to keep it.”

This weekend’s clash with Allen is a perfect encapsulation of Hernandez’s “pay no attention” approach to things.

The two men faced off seven years ago under the LFA banner when the now 31-year-old Hernandez was just 5-0 and Allen was in his early 20s and a rising star on the regional ranks. While both men acknowledged this week that they weren’t particularly aware of one another heading into that initial encounter, the fight, which Hernandez won by unanimous decision, claiming the vacant title, has been one that Allen has wanted to run back ever since.

“Nope,” Hernandez said with a smirk in regards to ever pondering crossing paths with Allen again. “I don’t give a (expletive). I don’t give any (expletives). When I tell you I’ll fight anybody, I will fight anybody — just get me paid and let’s (expletive) run it.

“Obviously I’ve been living rent-free in his head though,” he added. “So whatever. Cool.”

Though he hasn’t been paying attention to Allen or anyone else in the weight class, Hernandez has been generating a ton of attention and garnering a great deal of buzz over the course of his current winning streak.

After beating Allen in their first encounter and punching his ticket to the UFC with a win on the opening season of Dana White’s Contender Series (note: the win was overturned after Hernandez tested positive for marijuana following the contest), Hernandez was expected to make an immediate impact in the 185-pound weight class as an unbeaten prospect coming off a pair of quality wins.

But he stumbled out of the gate, dropping two of his first three outings, including a 39-second stoppage loss to Kevin Holland early in the promotion’s return from the COVID shutdown.

Since then, “Fluffy” has been on fire, posting six wins, five finishes, and earning three Performance of the Night bonuses, including cashing that extra cheque following each of his last two victories.

“When my dad first died, I really didn’t have anywhere to go,” began Hernandez, explaining the circumstances surrounding his early struggles. “I did the Contender Series fight, I paid off my land my father and I purchased when I first went pro, and I moved out there with a trailer, lived out there, six of us in a little, tiny 26-foot trailer. Struggling, needed money; had no money.

“I would just fight, and whatever happened happened,” continued the candid NorCal native. “Hurt, not hurt; didn’t matter. I wouldn’t tell anybody if I was hurt.”

Those first three bouts may not have produced the results and performances he wanted, but it allowed Hernandez to get settled and start to focus on turning things around.

He is unbeaten since.

“That’s what I was going through, but I’ve got my head right now, I’ve got my purpose in life, so now it’s just be violent, make my dad proud so that when I do sit down and talk to him again, it’s like, ‘I did that shit!’”

Like many athletes that reach the big stage with a pristine record and boatloads of confidence, Hernandez didn’t anticipate having any difficulty maintaining his winning ways inside the Octagon, but his approach and the level of talent standing across from him showed him the error of his thinking.

Older, wiser, and firing on all cylinders, he’s now at a point where he’s primed and ready to make the run he always anticipated making.

“When I first came into the UFC, I thought I was gonna wreck shop,” he laughed, reflecting on his journey. “I had a rude awakening, and then it’s like, ‘Obviously I have holes places.’ I’m not a quitter, I’ve never been in my life, so it’s go back to work, sit down, figure some stuff out, turn the dials, and keep adjusting.

“Now I’m back to where I was at the very beginning, back to a 6-0 mentality ‘Fluffy,' but a lot smarter.”

On Saturday night, the more experienced and smarter Hernandez is intent on pushing his winning streak to seven and scuttling Allen’s plans of earning a measure of vengeance… and then sharing an adult beverage with his foe after they try to eviscerate each other inside the Octagon.

“I’m gonna go out there, do everything I can to finish him, and I know he’s gonna do everything he can to finish me,” Hernandez said excitedly. “So at the end of the day, we’ll shake hands, have a drink after.

“Who did he rematch with, Chris Curtis? You saw he came for it, so I’m ready for everything. I’m ready to show him again that I’ve gotten better and it wasn’t a fluke the first time.”