Shame this guy never got a chance to show what he was made of to a wider audience in the states... The ship has sailed obviously, but he was a real P4P lower weight talent back in the day.
This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected White - Featured Fights This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected 8/5 - Mikhail Zayats vs. Marcus Vänttinen 3x5 8/5 - Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno 5x5 8/5 - Randa Markos vs. Alexa Grasso 3x5 8/5 - Rashad Evans vs. Sam Alvey 3x5 8/5 - Alan Jouban vs. Niko Price 3x5 8/5 - Diego Rivas vs. Jose Alberto Quiñones 3x5 8/5 - Dustin Ortiz vs. Hector Sandoval 3x5 8/5 - Jordan Rinaldi vs. Alvaro Herrera 3x5 8/5 - Brad Scott vs. Jack Hermansson 3x5 8/5 - Alejandro Perez vs. Andre Soukhamthath 3x5 8/5 - Joseph Morales vs. Roberto Sanchez 3x5 8/5 - Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Briones 3x5 8/5 - Martín Bravo vs. Humberto Bandenay 3x5 This content is protected 8/18 - David Michaud vs. Ciro Rodrigues 3x5 8/19 - Mukhamed Berkhamov vs Brett Cooper 5x5 8/25 - Andrey Koreshkov vs. Chidi Njokuani 3x5 8/25 - Brennan Ward vs. Fernando Gonzalez 3x5 8/25 - Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Daniel Pineda 3x5 8/25 - Henry Corrales vs. Noad Lahat 3x5 8/25 - Chris Honeycutt vs. Kevin Casey 3x5 This content is protected
Fernandes UD, Akhmetov UD, Zayats SUB, Moreno SUB, Grasso UD, Alvey KO, Jouban UD, Rivas UD, Ortiz UD, Rinaldi UD, Hermansson UD, Perez UD, Sanchez SUB, Yahya SUB, Bravo UD
I remember the UFC trying to sign him after the dissolution of DREAM. He chose instead to be a big fish in a small pond so he gets what he deserves.
Did they offer him good money? I know in the past the UFC has offered these guys peanuts. That's why Khalidov never signed with the UFC and opted to stay with KSW. Some guys are content with stability... They like competing, getting paid.. But aren't willing to sign a draconian contract that will limit their options, activity, decrease their pay and hope that they can fair well enough to get a better deal down the line.
This is a pretty solid card from One FC... One of their best in a while. Two fairly high level championship bouts. 5-6 years ago this would have been absolute tip of the top notch for lower weight MMA. Still pretty good though.
I think he was negotiating with the UFC several years ago but I obviously that never panned out. It reminds me of another fighter, Antonio McKee. I don't remember a lot about the youtube videos I watched on McKee in the past, I drink a lot, but he was once touted as one of the best lightweights not in the UFC. McKee eventually made a UFC appearance but was like 40 by the time he did. Fernandes may be closer to being the real deal than McKee, but I'm making that statement without going back and looking at McKee's career.
Khalidov was in a unique situation, he was getting way above market value to compete for a local promotion. Fernandes I don’t think was in a similar situation with one fc but I could be wrong. I can understand why free agents would be leery to sign with the UFC post-Reebok deal but Fernandes was a free agent years before this. Back then obscure fighters on the undercard could get paid very well in just sponsorship revenue alone. I suspect he might’ve not been confident that he would have the same success in the UFC that he had in lesser promotions.
This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected White - Featured Fights This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected 8/5 - Mikhail Zayats vs. Marcus Vänttinen 3x5 8/5 - Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno 5x5 8/5 - Randa Markos vs. Alexa Grasso 3x5 8/5 - Rashad Evans vs. Sam Alvey 3x5 8/5 - Alan Jouban vs. Niko Price 3x5 8/5 - Diego Rivas vs. Jose Alberto Quiñones 3x5 8/5 - Dustin Ortiz vs. Hector Sandoval 3x5 8/5 - Jordan Rinaldi vs. Alvaro Herrera 3x5 8/5 - Brad Scott vs. Jack Hermansson 3x5 8/5 - Alejandro Perez vs. Andre Soukhamthath 3x5 8/5 - Joseph Morales vs. Roberto Sanchez 3x5 8/5 - Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Briones 3x5 8/5 - Martín Bravo vs. Humberto Bandenay 3x5 This content is protected 8/18 - David Michaud vs. Ciro Rodrigues 3x5 8/19 - Mukhamed Berkhamov vs Brett Cooper 5x5 8/25 - Andrey Koreshkov vs. Chidi Njokuani 3x5 8/25 - Brennan Ward vs. Fernando Gonzalez 3x5 8/25 - Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Daniel Pineda 3x5 8/25 - Henry Corrales vs. Noad Lahat 3x5 8/25 - Chris Honeycutt vs. Kevin Casey 3x5 This content is protected