Facing Anthony Hernandez just might be the least pleasant fight on the entire UFC roster.
The term “Middleweight Merab” was coined before his UFC Vegas 109 main event versus Roman Dolidze, but it’s gained massive popularity in the last 12 hours. Not only is it catchy, but it’s tactically accurate. Like the Bantamweight great, Hernandez is dominating opponents primarily by exhausting them. He’s not overwhelming them with some heretofore unprecedented level of skill, he’s just draining the gas tank and then running roughshod over ‘em.
Dolidze theoretically had some advantages here. He was noticeably bigger and strong than Hernandez, as well as the greater historic knockout threat. Better yet, he’s one of Middleweight’s very best bottom players with a tricky leg entanglement game. Jack Hermansson genuinely rose into the Top 10 off the strength of his top game, yet Dolidze easily twisted him into a pretzel then pounded his ears off. There was logical reason to believe his combination of size, power and elite jiu-jitsu could disrupt Hernandez’s absurd pace.
It didn’t happen at all.
Hernandez dominated from the opening bell, picking apart Dolidze on the feet, manhandling him in the clinch, and ultimately breaking him on the canvas. It was a dog-walking the likes of which is rarely seen in UFC’s Octagon aside from other “Fluffy” fights.
There’s a clear difference between Merab and Hernandez’s respective cycles of pain. Both men trap their opponents in a repetitive chain of events: combination, wrestle along the fence, ground strikes, and then repeat as the opponent stands. Though the specific techniques differ in how they do accomplish each of those phases and link them together, the more primary difference is the meanness gap.
Dvalishvili has a good few wins where he’s captured victory cleanly, but his opponents walk away with relatively clean faces. They’re able to attend their afterparties the night of the event. Once their heart rate finally settles, they’re not wracked with pain in every limb. Hernandez, conversely, is so downright vicious at every possible opportunity that his performances feel like the highest level of bullying imaginable.
Absolutely nobody is getting tossed around by “Fluffy” then turning up on the dance floor an hour later.
Hernandez is downright cruel in his bouts and often in creative ways. Dolidze, a verifiably tough gamer who had never been finished previously, practically sprinted for a way out of this match up when given the opportunity to tap. Who can blame him? Hernandez pummeled him with the usual onslaught of strikes, sure, but he also needled his thighs and ribs with knees. He hung on the neck for minutes at a time and ragdolled him with schoolyard throws. Every time there was a pause on the canvas, it’s because Hernandez was winding up on a ground strike, delivering his shot with a little extra pop of hatred.
There are a lot more UFC fighters fueled by competitive drive than mean spirits, but its an advantage to those who harness the gift. The premier example is, of course, Jon Jones. Few manage to relish their opponent’s suffering quite like “Bones.” I can specifically remember a moment many years ago versus Ryan Bader — Jones’ coming out party as a top contender — where he’s in complete control, utterly dominating Bader in every facet of the game with ease. From north-south, Jones makes the bizarre, illegal, and wildly unnecessary decision to start chin-butting Bader’s ribs for no other reason than to add to the hurt.
Through all the years of style changes and technical developments, Jones has remained an outright cruel fighter to his own benefit. Though thankfully a more functional person in greater society, “Fluffy” possesses a similar malevolence during his fights, and that trait is helping push him towards Middleweight gold.
The timing is now overdue for a “Fluffy” versus Reinier de Ridder a title eliminator. Hernandez threw out the idea of a BMF belt attached to the match up as well, but if we’re being accurate, name him the meanest motherf—ker instead and then get him into a real title fight ASAP.
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