Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez didn’t just win at UFC Vegas 109. He walked out with a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, a submission win over a top-10 opponent, and a clear plan for what’s next. And no, it’s not just about another fight, although he did make it clear he’s gunning for the gold next.

Before we get to that, at the post-fight press conference, Hernandez was asked what his plans were for the 50K bump that he received for his performance.

His response? The UFC middleweight simply confessed, “Man, I have kids, so I got to pay some sh—down and try to finish my ranch. Trying to move back to the country, so that’s the game plan, so that my kids can have a good childhood.”

No talk of cars, luxury vacations, or splurges. Just home and space for his four kids to grow. If you’ve followed Hernandez on social media, you’ve probably seen glimpses of this dream. While the exact location of his ranch isn’t public, he often shares videos of himself and his family outside, enjoying the open air.

After all, Anthony Hernandez’s story started far from the bright lights of Las Vegas. Born in Dunnigan, a small town in northwestern Yolo County, California, with a population of about 700, he grew up on an acre lot.

In a previous interview, he confessed, “Grew up on an acre lot and had chickens my whole life. Just a country boy and fighting a lot like with neighbors and sh– and just kind of grew up tough.”

During the same conversation, he also revealed that school never stuck with him. He was kicked off his high school wrestling team for poor grades. College wasn’t much better. One professor even told him to choose between fighting and school, as he further shared, “My teacher was like, ‘you need to quit working or fighting because you keep forgetting your homework, I was like, ‘man, f— that shit. I’m way better at fighting than this sh–. So, I just dropped out of school.”

As such, his win at UFC Vegas 109 wasn’t just another step up the rankings for Hernandez. It was validation that leaving school for fighting, grinding through small-town beginnings, and sticking to his style could lead to main events, big bonuses, and the chance to give his kids the kind of life he always wanted, as he confessed during the post-fight press conference.

So, what’re his plans for his next challenge inside the Octagon? As we mentioned earlier, with his win over Roman Dolidze, ‘Fluffy’ has his sights on becoming the champion at 185 lbs!

With UFC Vegas 109 victory and bonus secured, Anthony Hernandez aims his crosshairs at the middleweight title

Anthony Hernandez didn’t just beat Roman Dolidze. He broke him down, piece by piece. After a few clean shots from the Georgian in round one, ‘Fluffy’ flipped the switch. He stormed forward and slammed Dolidze to the mat whenever he wanted. Hernandez mixed punches, elbows, and knees like a man who knew the ending was already written. By the fourth round, Dolidze was exhausted. Hernandez wrapped an arm around his neck, squeezed, and got the tap at 2:45.

Eight straight wins. That’s where Hernandez stands now. But he’s not satisfied, as he stated during the post-fight interview, “I just had to do what I had to do to win. This time, I wanted to come show the f–  out with my hands, my f—  wrestling, my jiu-jitsu. Show I can do everything.” He even admitted that a rib injury had slowed him down to a decision win in his last fight against Brendan Allen earlier this year. This time? He wanted destruction, and it was exactly that. Then came the call-out.

He took the microphone and exclaimed, “I want a title shot. What do I f—  got to do? I work my butt off. I push myself to the limit everyday. All I know is violence and war. Give me a title shot and I promise I’ll be the next champ.” While the call-out is bold, the path to the title isn’t clear at the moment. At UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis is set to defend the crown against Khamzat Chimaev, and till then, all eyes are on the matchup that has all the hype surrounding it.

For now, Hernandez will head home with his bonus, his kids, and the vision of that ranch still in motion. Whether the UFC grants him a title shot next or makes him fight his way through one more contender, ‘Fluffy’ has made it clear: he’s ready for war, and he’s fighting for far more than himself!