Hernandez On Curtis As 'Final Nail' In UFC Career

Luis Hernandez says he could end Chris Curtis' UFC career, but the newly minted middleweight contender is not ready to fight him yet.

Hernandez and Curtis had a heated confrontation at a Tuff-N-Uff event last year when Hernandez taunted Curtis and Sean Strickland after beating their Xtreme Couture teammate Miles Hunsinger, per Sherdog. Security stepped in before things escalated beyond Strickland throwing a punch. Hernandez made his UFC debut on two days' notice at UFC Vegas 121 earlier this month, finishing Sedriques Dumas in under a minute.

Curtis reportedly contacted UFC matchmakers twice about facing Hernandez — once after Hernandez earned his contract on Dana White's Contender Series, then again following the UFC Vegas 121 finish — but was turned down both times due to the experience gap. Hernandez told Ariel Helwani he has made peace with Strickland but believes Curtis is chasing relevance by calling him out now. The Miami-Dade County deputy sheriff thinks Curtis, who holds a 6-5 UFC record, is nearing the end of his promotional run.

"Me and Sean are good," Hernandez said on The MMA Hour. "I don't know about Chris. He's coming out of the woodwork. I guess he's trying to get some fame. I'm going to get my fights; I'm growing my name. If his name comes down the list, I could be the final coffin to put him into retirement."

Hernandez added that if the matchup happens, it will be for the right money. He wants to build his profile first so the stakes are higher when they eventually settle things. Curtis is 6-5 in the UFC and reportedly on the downside of his career, while Hernandez is coming off a Performance of the Night bonus in his debut. The beef stems from last year's gym rivalry incident, but Hernandez is willing to wait until the payday makes sense.