Morning Report: Daniel Cormier likes Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker next for Anthony Hernandez

Daniel Cormier thinks Anthony Hernandez deserves his shot to interrupt into the middleweight elite.

“Fluffy” made it seven straight wins this previous Saturday at UFC Seattle with a hard-fought unanimous determination win over previous rival Brendan Allen. The 31-year-old is on the cusp of transferring into the highest 5 of the middleweight division, however probably wants a big-name opponent to get there, and Cormier needs to see him get the possibility in opposition to a former UFC champion.

Might a star like Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker be subsequent for Hernandez?

“You recognize why I like him?” Cormier stated on the Good Man / Dangerous Man podcast. ”As a result of I watched Nassourdine Imavov simply knock out Izzy. However I additionally simply watched Nassourdine Imavov go dogfight with Brendan Allen in a [co-main event] in France final yr. Imavov gained that third spherical to beat Brendan Allen, barely. Hernandez goes and does that, too. Hernandez is the true deal, and if he can beat a man like Brendan Allen proper after he beats [Michel] Pereira, after which he beat [Roman] Kopylov after which he beat [Edmen] Shahbazyan. He’s gained 4 in a row now. It’s KO, sub, KO, unanimous determination. I believe it’s time that we put this child in there with somebody actual.

“The query is, although, are you able to get him with a man—I can’t consider I’m about to say this, as a result of it simply says how far we’ve come—are you able to get a man like Izzy to struggle him? That’s the basic story, we inform it each time. He beat Allen, who’s No. 9. You’ve acquired [Marvin] Vettori who’s in there, [Jared] Cannonier at 7, Caio Borralho at 6, Robert Whittaker 5, Izzy at 4. Are you able to get a Whittaker or an Izzy to struggle this child subsequent? As a result of that’s that scenario the place you’ve acquired to begin utilizing these names from a previous technology now to raise a man like Fluffy Hernandez.”

Hernandez has been on a tear since a loss to Kevin Holland in 2020, having scored finishes of Michel Pereira, Roman Kopylov, Edmen Shahbazyan, Marc-Andre Barriault, and Rodolfo Vieira throughout this stretch. He’s probably one struggle away from a title shot, although it’s unclear who will step as much as give Hernandez that chance.

Whereas Cormier favors Hernandez matching up with Adesanya or Whittaker, his podcast co-host Chael Sonnen sees an alternative choice a little bit additional again within the rankings.

“I like an thought of Hernandez vs. Paulo Costa,” Sonnen stated. “I believe that places Paulo in an actual alternative. Paulo is just not coming off a win, however he’s nonetheless The Terminator, he’s nonetheless five-round prepared. … Not very many guys benefit from the work of preventing, there’s loads of fighters and that’s what they do, ‘Name me 3 times a yr and I’ll put my sport face on,’ Hernandez has simply at all times struck me as completely different. Now possibly I’m a mark, however I’ve purchased into it.

“[Hernandez is] a legit powerful man. Paulo Costa is a legit powerful man. I believe as followers, we may have loads of enjoyable with that reserving.”

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Pardner.

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There’s no arguing Anthony Hernandez deserves a top-5 opponent, however who dares to step into the cage with FLUFFY???

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