Alexander Hernandez believes he is now on version 2.0 as a fighter.
At UFC Vegas 12 on Halloween night, Hernandez returned to the win column with a first-round TKO win over Chris Gruetzemacher. It was the first fight Hernandez had as a Factory X fighter and knows he is a completely different fighter now.
“This is Alexander Hernandez 2.0. I’ve never seen myself so calculated and relaxed,” Hernandez said to BJPENN.com. “Just the internal battles I’ve been able to overcome and adhere to. Then, the execution, that was my best performance in the UFC.”
Entering the fight, this was the first time Hernandez was not fighting someone ranked in the top-15 in the UFC. Although many viewed it as a massive step back, Hernandez said he needed to do it as he now understands the business side of MMA. He also expects to fight another person outside the rankings next time out.
“The goal is to develop myself in the most profitable and beneficial way I can and develop my platform. A way to do that is to improve my contract and this one I had a massive payout,” Hernandez explained. “I’m not on the fast track I was trying to be on before as looking back on it, it didn’t make any sense. I didn’t have the preparation, the team, the coaches. I was in the wrong lane and now I have corrected my trajectory and getting paid my value. I’ll probably still have to fight another one or two guys outside the rankings.
“You look at Dariush who was outside the rankings and has worked his way back up and looking better than ever. That is what I want to do. I’m not in a hurry to get back in the rankings, I’m in a hurry to succeed,” Alex Hernandez continued. “That is personally and finically, not an artificial number beside my name. I’m in no position to contend for the belt at the moment. I’m also not mad at my entrance at all, I had a historic entrance. I think there is a lot of history behind my entrance and I made my name known early. I like the route I’m on right now after the trial and tribulation and work my way to the top. I’m glad I faced adversity and had bumps in the road.”
Alexander Hernandez no doubt faced a lot of adversity early on with the losses to Donald Cerrone and Drew Dober. Yet, he feels like a completely different fighter and expects to prove it again on December 19.
“December 19. I expect I will be on that card as well,” Hernandez concluded.
Who would you like to see Alexander Hernandez fight next?