CALGARY – Alexander Hernandez has big plans for his encore UFC performance at UFC on FOX 30.

Hernandez (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made an epic splash in his octagon debut at UFC 222 in March, when he scored a stunning 42-second knockout of noted lightweight contender Beneil Dariush in a fight he accepted on just over one weeks’ notice.

For his second fight, Hernandez gets a matchup with Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) on the network-televised UFC on FOX 30 card. Not many fighters with one bout in the organization are slotted into such a prominent space, but Hernandez thinks it’s justified in his case.

“The entrance I made I think merits this position entirely,” Hernandez told MMAjunkie at UFC on FOX 30 media day. “The only thing I’m upset about is I’m not on that (expletive) poster. Other than that I feel entirely good to be here. I came in and did an act that’s completely unprecedented in the UFC. I’m just going to continue to validate my position here and silence the naysayers. I’m not out of place sitting in this chair and being in this room.”

UFC on FOX 30 takes place at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hernandez vs. Aubin-Mercier airs on FOX following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

At just 25, Hernandez said he didn’t join the UFC roster to play games. He felt his opportunity was overdue, and when he finally got the shot against Dariush, he delivered in spectacular fashion.

Nicknamed “The Great,” Hernandez said his debut was just the start. He said he believes he has the total package both in and out of the octagon, and in a star-driven sport, Hernandez has the utmost belief that he’ll soon be mentioned among the biggest names in the UFC.

“(The MMA world is) going to know that I’m original,” Hernandez said. “I’m a standout. The UFC is stacked with talent. There’s talent in all divisions, especially the lightweight division. But they’re lacking in stars. I’m going to prove that I’m the next star. Through character, diversity and emerging from the norm. They want something original, they want something real.”

Hernandez plans to use his platform at UFC on FOX 30 to do something significant once again. He called Aubin-Mercier a “piece of meat” that he’s going to have his way with. And if there are any people questioning whether his debut win over Dariush was simply a flash in the pan, he said they will be proven wrong.

“I’m expecting to put on another mind-boggling performance,” Hernandez said. “Shock the organization, shock the world, silence the naysayers again, and then I expect to be heavily promoted more so thereafter.”

For more on UFC on FOX 29, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.