Billy Quarantillo was surprised when he got the call to face Alexander Hernandez at UFC 282.

After Quarantillo lost to Shane Burgos at UFC 268 last year, he wasn’t sure what would be next for him. He was then supposed to face Bill Algeo at UFC Long Island. However, Quarantillo had to pull out due to an injury which was heartbreaking for him.

“It was terrible, it was the only time I have ever had to pull out of a fight before in my entire career,” Quarantillo said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “It was terrible, I don’t even want to think about it. It’s been a really long year and I was actually having a good training camp going into that fight, but then I got hurt and had to take a lot of time off which was frustrating. I’m going to make up for it in December.”

Once Quarantillo was cleared to fight, he was offered Alexander Hernandez at UFC 282 which caught him by surprise. He thought his manager had messaged the wrong person. But, once it was confirmed Hernandez was dropping down to 145lbs, he was ecstatic.

“They asked me if I wanted to fight Alex Hernandez. I thought my manager was getting the name wrong or asking the wrong person because he’s not even a featherweight,” Quarantillo said. “But, when they cleared that up, I was super excited about it. I think he’s a very dangerous opponent and it’s a great fight for me, a great fight for the fans, and a great matchup.”

Why Billy Quarantillo believes it is a good matchup for him is simple. He knows the weight cut won’t be easy for Alexander Hernandez, and will likely impact his cardio. Quarantillo, meanwhile, is known for his pace and pressure so he believes will be able to drag Hernandez into the deep waters and see if he lasts.

“I’m expecting and preparing for the best Alex Hernandez,” Quarantillo explained. “I can’t have it in the back of my mind that he will gas out. I’m sure he has thought about that, too. He’s preparing himself harder than he did before but it probably sounded good to make 145 when we announced it. The closer it gets and the more he has to cut, his body will feel a lot different. I’m excited to expose that and he does really well when he gets the knockout early. My style is always the same. I’m trying to drag it into deep waters and make it a grimy, grueling fight. Against someone like him, it matches up perfectly for me.”

If Quarantillo can bring Hernandez into the deep waters at UFC 282, he’s confident he will be able to break him and eventually finish him.

“I know I can go out there, get a huge finish early in the night and steal the show,” Quarantillo said. “Get a big knockout, get a submission, and hopefully get a bonus… I know I’m going to break him eventually.”

Should he get the finish he’s after, Quarantillo knows it would be a massive win and set him up for a big 2023.

“It puts me right in that discussion of the dark horse of the division, top-15,” Quarantillo concluded. “I have to start looking at the roster and the ranking and who will be due up for a fight. I want to fight three times next year.”

Do you think Billy Quarantillo will finish Alexander Hernandez at UFC 282?