Introduction
Friay, April 12th, American light heavyweight prospect Luke Fernandez will be in action for CFFC, where he will be looking continue his undefeated ways against Will Dicke. He will be looking for another win, as Fernandez looks to inch closer to a contract with the UFC. He represents Dante Rivera BJJ, a solid camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submission Wrestling: Fernandez comes from a collegiate wrestling background, having grappled at Elizabethtown College. Any collegiate wrestling experience, whether it’s Division I or III, means you are a great wrestler, given that many colleges no longer have programs. This is obvious in Fernandez’s fights. Not only is Fernandez gifted with athleticism and brute strength, but his submission wrestling is outstanding. He obviously has great takedowns given that wrestling background, but he’s no lay-and-pray wrestler. Under the tutelage of former MMA fighter and jiu-jitsu specialist Dante Rivera, he has become an all-around menace on the mat. He has hammering ground-and-pound like many wrestlers, but he’s also well-versed in submissions. Three of his amateur wins came by tapout. He has all the tools for success on the ground in MMA.
Boxing Fundamentals: In addition to being a strong submission wrestler, Fernandez also has solid boxing. He has good footwork and entries to set up landing punches. Though he mostly uses his boxing to set up the shot and ground work, he does have the power to stagger opponents and he has done so. If he adds more kickboxing to his arsenal, he will be very difficult to deal with.
Needs Improvement
Step Up in Competition: Fernandez is just three fights into his pro career, so it’s no surprise he’s been building himself up at a regular pace. His opponents have a combined 7-3 record, so he’s yet to really step up in competition yet. That’s normal, though. However, it is a little more difficult to judge where he’s at right now until he steps up. He looks to do that in his current fight as he not only has the pressure of fighting for the CFFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but fights longtime veteran and respected fighter Will Dicke.
Outlook
UFC Midcarder: Fernandez is 28 years old, so he’s approaching his athletic prime as a fighter. Thus far, he has looked nothing short of dominant in the cage as both a pro and an amateur. Given his grappling chops and the thinness of the light heavyweight division at both the major league level and the prospect ladder, I think Fernandez will be UFC bound at some point. He will find success in the UFC given his fight style and dominance, though he could struggle against superior wrestlers and strikers with takedown defense. Either way, Fernandez is a guy to keep an eye on.
MMA Intel 