Miami cop Luis Hernandez made his UFC debut by submitting convicted felon Sedriques Dumas in under a minute after accepting the fight on two days’ notice.
A Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy stepped into the UFC octagon against a convicted felon on Saturday night. Less than a minute later, Luis Hernandez had Sedriques Dumas tapping to a guillotine choke. He had accepted the fight with just two days to prepare.
Hernandez hurt Dumas with an early punch at UFC Vegas 121 on September 26, then secured the choke and finished it standing. The victory took him to 9-0 as a professional, with all nine opponents stopped inside the distance. For a newcomer who had only just earned his contract, there was precious little time spent finding his feet.
Eleven Days Between Getting the Contract and Winning His Debut
Hernandez’s first UFC assignment came when Mickey Gall withdrew from the Dumas fight because of a medical issue. Most fighters would want a full training camp before their promotional debut. Hernandez took the vacancy less than two weeks after submitting Hugo Guillon on Dana White’s Contender Series.
His fellow deputies had gathered in Doral to watch that September 15 victory, which persuaded Dana White to offer him a contract. Eleven days later, Hernandez was back in the cage, collecting another submission.
He has managed that unbeaten run while working full-time for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Hernandez serves on its Priority Response Team, a unit that responds to active shooters and other high-risk incidents. The UFC contract hasn’t changed his employment status: he is still a serving deputy.
Dumas Entered the Fight After a Criminal Sentence
Across from him stood a fighter whose recent troubles extended well beyond the octagon. Dumas was sentenced in June following a criminal case stemming from his April 2025 arrest.
According to court records reported by MMA Fighting, Dumas pleaded no contest to possessing a weapon or ammunition as a convicted Florida felon and possessing more than 20 grams of marijuana. Prosecutors dropped the remaining three charges.
He received six months of community control, a form of house arrest, followed by four years of probation. The sentences for the two counts run concurrently.
A $100,000 Bonus Won’t Get Him to Hand In His Badge
Hernandez left Las Vegas with his first UFC victory and a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Two fights in 11 days had taken him from a prospect hoping for a contract to a paid-up member of the roster with a spectacular debut behind him.
Even so, he told Ariel Helwani that law enforcement still pays him more than fighting, bonus included. He also credited his agency with supporting his career outside work.
His sheriff had already asked the obvious question: was he thinking about leaving?
“No, I never want to leave. I want to do both.”