Anytime. Anywhere. Any place. The time will be approximately 8:25 pm central time that they make the walk to the octagon. The where? Brooklyn, New York. The place? Barclays Center and you better believe that Cowboy and Hernandez will do just as Brooklyn does and GO HARD.
Alexander “The Great” Hernandez (10-1-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) may be new to the UFC scene but his arrival couldn’t be coming at a better time. The athletes, the fans and more importantly the UFC is on the eve of a new era- Hello, ESPN. With the start of a new era comes the birth of new stars. This Saturday could be the greatest night of a young Alexander Hernandez’s life. However, across from him will be arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. A living legend that goes simply by the name, Cowboy. Alexander’s first two fights in the UFC have been against some nice competition. His first fight was against Beneil Dariush and he KO’d him inside the 1st round (March 2018). For an encore he went on to fight Oliver Aubin-Mercier, this past July, and Hernandez showed he could pull out a tough (unanimous decision) win that went the distance.
Unknown MMA founder Amanda Sanchez, but better known as Chica, recently interviewed Hernandez where he stated that he’s looking to fuse what he learned in his past two fights and “solidify some solid technique and wrap it up pretty immediately in the first or second.” Prior to that statement though he did say that “truthfully I’m trying to get back to that first round knockout. I want that bonus.” Hernandez will look to waste no time in the octagon because he understands how it will look if he can finish “somebody like Cerrone who’s been a legacy and a household name, it’s a huge deal.”
As for Hernandez’s dance partner, a lot can be said about him. He holds various records in the UFC. However, the only thing he hasn’t held is a championship belt. Cowboy Cerrone (34-11-0) has been as much as a sure thing in this sport and staple for the UFC. Fight after fight after fight. He shows up. One thing is for sure — when Cowboy fights he’s going to bring his best and by doing that, he brings the best out of his opponents. With the birth of his child, a new found fire has risen within him, the proof was in his most recent fight where he practically ripped off Mike Perry’s arm, ultimately forcing Perry to tap. Now he’s fighting for something bigger than himself and his legacy. He’s fighting for his family and to make a final run at the UFC’s 155 pound Lightweight Champion of the World.
That passion that both possess was clearly evident at the presser which featured Hernandez and Cerrone. Outside of Cejudo pulling snakes out of a bag, it’s fair to say these two stole the show. Hernandez went straight for Cerrones’ throat at once calling him “geriatric”, a “stepping stone” and a “little lad”. To which Cerrone stated that he’s “a mother fuckin boulder in [his] way”. Hernandez went on to state that “[he] knows he’s going to be a champion” and that Cerrone is “number 2 and always will be number 2…” The confidence is clearly there for the young’n and victory definitely makes his prospects look up. However Cerrone wasn’t there for the back and forth and made it clear when he let it be known by saying “I’m not the guy to sit here and talk shit because I know what floor you’re on, they fucked up and put me in the wrong room I’m right next to you- you little mother fucker, so if you have something to say you can come knock on my door, okay.”
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When the octagon closes and both men are in the octagon, only one will walk out with their hand raised. A win catapults either men to a matchup someone inside the top 10 of the division and a step towards the ultimate goal. Will the cowboy ride away with a victory, or will Alexander “The Great” have him thinking that his best dances are behind him and that maybe it’s time to hang the hat up. Only way to find out is check out Cowboy vs. Hernandez this Saturday, January 19, 2019 as the main fight of the prelim bouts on ESPN.
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