UFC newcomer Luis Hernandez aims to make history on the scale

LAS VEGAS – Luis Hernandez is aiming to make UFC history.

The Miami-Dade Police Department officer made his UFC debut on the main card of UFC Fight Night 289 against Sedriques Dumas on just two days' notice after Mickey Gall was withdrawn. Hernandez (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had the Meta APEX celebrating after pulling off a guillotine submission in just 57 seconds.

When Hernandez was signed to the UFC on Sept. 15 after his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series, some joked online that the promotion should set up a "cop vs. criminal" matchup against Dumas (10-6 MMA, 3-6 UFC), who has a long rap sheet of run-ins with the law and convictions for various crimes. The UFC saw the opportunity to make that storyline a reality, and Hernandez leaned into it, but admits that the jokes did go too far at times.

"I think it's funny for the media, but there was some posts that I really didn't like," Hernandez told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a post-fight news conference. "I told his coach after, there's some things that I saw online – listen, I'm Latin, and I don't like any discrimination at all. Especially this guy. He's a family guy. This guy's trying to make a living like me, and you don't know what's going through that guy. Maybe that's his past. I don't want to judge somebody on their past."

Hernandez is a showman and wants to be on the UFC stage as much as possible. On DWCS, he fought Hugo Guillon at middleweight and took his short-notice UFC debut at light heavyweight. Moving forward, he hopes to land a quick turnaround to keep his momentum going, while also aiming to create his own piece of history across multiple weight classes.

"I talked to the bosses. I can't tell you a date yet, but I'm trying to make history," Hernandez said. "I looked online, I don't know if you guys could look it up as well, I've never seen somebody do three fights in three months in three different weight classes. So listen, Kevin Holland was active, and now you've got Luis Hernandez."

On the regional scene, Hernandez bounced around from welterweight to middleweight, along with a couple of catchweight bouts. As he settles into the UFC, he wants to hone in on the lighter of the three divisions, but first, it's all about beating something a UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn accomplished in 2004 when he fought in three different divisions. Yet, Hernandez wants to do it quicker.

"Honestly, I want to do 170 and 185," Hernandez said. "I can't tell you what the bosses said, but hopefully we'll get some news soon. I want to be the first guy. ... I think the only other guy was BJ Penn, but it wasn't in three months."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC newcomer Luis Hernandez aims to make history on the scale