The Cuban-American fighter Luis “The Stache” Hernández has only been officially in the UFC for a few days, but he already has a veteran waiting for the chance to face him.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office agent achieved two submission victories in just 11 days: first, he defeated the Frenchman Hugo Guillon in Dana White's Contender Series to earn his contract, and then he submitted Sedriques Dumas in under a minute during his UFC debut.
With these results, Hernández maintains an undefeated professional record of 9-0, according to his official UFC profile, with six victories by submission and three by knockout.
Now the attention has shifted to Chris Curtis, an experienced UFC fighter with whom Hernández shares a history that began long before his arrival in the octagon of the leading mixed martial arts organization.
Two submissions in 11 days
On September 15, Hernández faced Hugo Guillon during the sixth week of the tenth season of Dana White's Contender Series.
After an intense-paced fight, the fighter from Miami escaped a choke attempt and ultimately submitted the Frenchman with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
The performance earned him a contract with UFC.
The organization itself highlighted her performance as one of the most remarkable of that event.
Just 11 days later, an unexpected opportunity arose.
Mickey Gall withdrew from his fight against Sedriques Dumas due to medical issues, and Hernández accepted to replace him with only two days' notice.
The fight, originally scheduled at middleweight, was ultimately contested at light heavyweight.
Hernández once again resolved it by submission. He connected early, closed the distance, and trapped Dumas with a guillotine to force his surrender before the first minute was up.
The performance also earned him one of the Performance of the Night awards given by UFC.
CiberCuba reported on that debut, where Hernández practically went from securing his contract to making his debut with a victory in the octagon.
Chris Curtis reappears on the road
Hernández's rapid emergence revived a rivalry that dates back to June 2025.
On that occasion, “The Stache” faced Miles Hunsinger at Tuff-N-Uff 145 in Las Vegas. Hunsinger had two well-known UFC names in his corner: Sean Strickland and Chris Curtis.
Hernández defeated Hunsinger and then celebrated by provoking the opposing corner. The situation ended with Strickland and Curtis entering the cage, leading to a confrontation that later resulted in penalties from the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Hernández's own profile in the UFC recalls that episode, noting that the fighter went viral after provoking Strickland and Curtis following a victory at Tuff-N-Uff.
Curtis wants the fight, but he insists that UFC still says no
After Hernández's victory over Dumas, Curtis publicly called for a fight again.
The veteran, currently with a record of 32-13 according to UFC, stated in a video posted on Instagram that he reached out to the company's matchmaking officials immediately after Hernández secured his contract.
According to his account, he received a response that the newcomer was not yet ready to face an opponent of his experience.
Curtis stated that he requested the matchup again after Hernández's debut and received a similar response.
The UFC has not officially announced that fight nor publicly confirmed those discussions with its matchmakers.
Curtis, 39 years old and a professional since 2009, made it clear that he is willing to wait until the company deems the pairing viable.
“I am going to withdraw it.”
Hernández did not ignore the challenge.
During an interview on the CBS Sports program Deep Waters, the Cuban-American stated that he respects Curtis's experience but left the possibility of facing him later on the table.
"I will see him soon," assured Hernández, who explained that for now he wants to continue building his name within the UFC.
In later statements gathered by MMA Fighting, he raised his tone and assured that, when the fight comes, he intends to "retire him".
For the moment, however, there is no signed contract or date for a Hernández-Curtis.
A Miami-Dade police officer who wants to stay active
Outside of the UFC, Hernández continues to work as a full-time agent with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Join the Priority Response Team, a unit that responds to active shooter situations and other high-risk incidents.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office highlighted his story after he secured the contract with UFC and noted that he had been balancing MMA training with his police work for years.
Hernández was born and raised in Miami and is the son of Cuban parents.
At 30 years old, he has made it clear that he does not intend to proceed slowly into this new stage of his career. In Deep Waters, he stated that he wants to remain very active and compete even in different weight categories, following a model similar to that of other fighters who accept fights frequently.
His first days under the UFC umbrella already reflect that intention: two submissions in 11 days, a contract, a victorious debut, and a rivalry that is heating up again.
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