Miami-Dade Sheriff's deputy Luis "The Stache" Hernandez is set to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on Saturday night against Sedriques Dumas.
With the bout, Hernandez becomes the first active-duty law enforcement officer to compete in the organization.
Hernandez accepted the fight on short notice after Dumas' original opponent withdrew due to an injury.
The matchup is being promoted around the contrasting backgrounds of the two fighters, with Dumas having a history of 14 arrests since 2014.
"Being able to make history and be a role model, that's the biggest thing to me," Hernandez said.
Ahead of the bout, Dumas published an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting a uniformed officer and himself in a jail jumpsuit dancing together.
Sports talk radio host and MMA expert Brendan Tobin noted that the promotion strategy aims to draw viewers to the weekend event.
"You kinda expect a promotion like this, they're trying to hook you in for a Saturday night fight night," said Tobin, who hosts at WQAM.
Tobin highlighted the unique circumstance of Hernandez's entry into the promotion, emphasizing the potential impact of securing a victory under these conditions.
"It's really great, it's an awesome story, especially knowing his journey to get there," Tobin said.
According to Tobin, taking short-notice opportunities is standard for fighters entering the promotion, though facing an opponent with a felony record adds extra attention from his colleagues at the sheriff's office.
"Usually, when you're new in the UFC, you gotta be willing to jump at a moment's notice to go in there and he's doing it," Tobin said.
Addressing his readiness, Hernandez previously stated on WQAM that he remains prepared to accept fights on short notice regardless of the location or timeframe.
"They call me right now, hey Luis, you want to fight in Utah next weekend, I'm in," Hernandez said.
Tobin suggested that the nature of the matchup likely adds high expectations from Hernandez's law enforcement colleagues.
"Yeah, and I'm sure that's gotta put a little more pressure on him, you would think at the police station, this is one you can't lose, don't lose if you're him," Tobin said.
Hernandez explained his preparation philosophy by citing a phrase popularized by former Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem regarding constant fight readiness.
"I've had fights that are three days notice, I've had fights that are three weeks notice, for me, there's a saying, if you stay ready, you don't gotta get ready," Hernandez said.
Hernandez's fellow deputies at the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office are showing strong support as he enters the cage for his inaugural UFC performance.
