Florida sheriff’s deputy lands UFC contract after impressive victory

A Florida sheriff’s deputy has gone from fighting crime to… well, just fighting, and earning a contract to compete on one of mixed martial arts’ biggest stages.

Deputy Luis Hernandez with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office can now officially say he’s a professional fighter with the Ultimate Fighting Champion after winning his way in a bout Tuesday night in Las Vegas. 

Big picture view:

Week six of Dana White’s Contender Series, season 10 took place, displaying a whole fight card of hopefuls looking to become the next UFC star, competing on the world stage. Deputy Hernandez was one of five winners in the Octagon, after defeating opponent Hugo Guillon via submission in round 2 of the fight. 

Dig deeper:

The fight went back and forth for a bit throughout the first round with Deputy Hernandez displaying his striking and grappling skills by getting his opponent down early. Guillon responded by getting his own takedown on Hernandez, who quickly made his way back up delivering a couple shots to close the round, leaving both fighters gassed.  

The second round saw both fighters taking big hits before it went back to the mat. Guillon looked to be taking the upperhand with an anaconda choke, but Hernandez was able to turn the tables, taking the back of his opponent and securing a rear-naked choke forcing the tap. 

What they're saying:

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz took to social media to offer her congratulations, saying how proud she was to have him representing the agency.

"Luis, your discipline, determination, and years of hard work brought you to this moment and tonight, you delivered," Sheriff Cordero-Stutz said. "You made Miami proud! From representing the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to stepping into that cage on the world stage, you showed everyone what YOU are made of."

By the numbers:

It was Deputy Hernandez’s fifth submission win of his brief career, improving to an 8-0 professional record. 

 

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