Rafael dos Anjos vs. Alexander Hernandez
UFC 332 · October 3, 2026 · Delta Center · Prelims 6:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Faded legend vs. inconsistent athlete
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Lightweight · Prelims
The read
Two years and three surgeries away from the cage is an enormous swing factor for a fighter already in his forties, and Hernandez's speed and power are live threats regardless of dos Anjos's résumé.
Dos Anjos's grappling and championship experience give him a route to a decision if his legs hold up, but the layoff makes him hard to trust in a pick against a younger, faster puncher.
Lean Hernandez if he can avoid his usual lapses in focus.
The matchup
This is a changing-of-the-guard style fight dressed up as a measuring stick for both men.
Dos Anjos brings championship pedigree and well-rounded craft but hasn't fought in two years and turns 42 during fight camp, while Hernandez is younger, faster, and has the kind of explosive hands that have ended fights against far more dangerous strikers than this.
The layoff and the surgeries are the biggest questions for dos Anjos; Hernandez's own inconsistency, alternating finishes with head-scratching losses, is his.
Tale of the tape
| 32-17 | Record | 18-9 |
| 41 | Age | 33 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'9" |
| 70" | Reach | 72" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Brazil | Country | United States |
| — | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Rafael dos Anjos 32-17
“RDA”
Rafael dos Anjos is a 41-year-old Brazilian former UFC lightweight champion making his 50th professional appearance and his first since October 2024, when a torn ACL and meniscus suffered against Geoff Neal forced three surgeries and a two-year layoff. A veteran of the sport since 2004, he dethroned Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title in 2015 and made one successful defense before Eddie Alvarez knocked him out. He returns off a three-fight skid to face a much younger striker in Alexander Hernandez, with plenty of fans calling for retirement instead.
- LGeoff Neal · TKO (injury)UFC 308 · October 26, 2024
- LMateusz Gamrot · Decision (unanimous)UFC 299 · March 9, 2024
- LVicente Luque · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · August 12, 2023
Alexander Hernandez 18-9
“The Great”
Alexander 'The Great' Hernandez is a 33-year-old lightweight who broke into the UFC with a highlight-reel first-round knockout of Beneil Dariush in 2018 and has bounced between exciting wins and puzzling setbacks ever since. He rattled off finishes of Diego Ferreira and Chase Hooper before dropping a decision to Rafa Garcia in April 2026, and now draws a UFC legend making his comeback in Rafael dos Anjos.
- LRafa Garcia · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night 274 · April 11, 2026
- WChase Hooper · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night · October 11, 2025
- WDiego Ferreira · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night · June 14, 2025