“It’s a fight,” he said flatly. “I’m just a violent m*****f***** and when people think they’re more violent than me, and I get to show that they’re not, I love it. For me, it’s war. It’s kill or be killed.
“There are no feelings in this s***. If he was able to put me on a highlight, I know that he would.”
After frequently asking for the opportunity to prove himself against the division’s elite, Hernandez finally gets that chance in Houston, squaring off with the former titleholder Strickland, whose last bout was a championship rematch with Dricus Du Plessis last February.
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In some ways, Strickland was able to weaponize some of the aspects that make Hernandez successful on his way to claiming the middleweight title. As he readies to share the Octagon with him this weekend, Hernandez is aware of the strengths his adversary brings to the table and what that could mean come fight night.
“He’s got a great pace, and he uses his basics very well,” Hernadez said of Strickland. “He’s proven that basics win fights. He’s tough, he’s durable and he’s in great shape all the time, so I think it’s gonna be a fun fight. It’s gonna be a fun one for the fans, I think it’s gonna be a bloody one, and I think we’re both coming to try and kill each other, so it’s gonna be fun.
“A lot of people back up, but I don’t back up; I go straight forward,” he continued, offering his thoughts on how things could play out. “So we’re either gonna meet right there and bang it out, he’s gonna take a step backwards, or I might get hurt and I have to take a step backwards. I don’t plan on going backwards. Even when I get hurt, I get pissed off and I go forward, so I think the fans are in for a good one.”
