UFC featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez solidified his spot near the top of a stacked division earlier this month when he mercilessly battered Rony Jason to earn a unanimous decision victory at UFC Fight Night in Salt Lake City. 

Jason is known for donning the signature hockey mask made famous in the "Friday the 13th" horror franchise, but Bermudez was the one dispensing the horror during their bout in Utah. Bermudez slashed Jason with a short elbow in the first round and continued to paint the canvas crimson with Jason's blood. He continued the onslaught throughout the fight, and gave Jason little room to breathe. 

When Bermudez closes the distance and gets his hands on his opponents, the aftermath can be downright scary. His smothering wrestling, grappling and top control stands out in the featherweight division. 

"I wanted to do a little more striking, but he is super tough." Bermudez said of Jason.

"I was hitting him, and he wasn't giving much ground. I know they (the UFC) were looking for a good wrestler to get ready for me, but they couldn't find one, apparently, because his wrestling isn't very good. We started exposing him in that area. On the ground, I work with really good guys like Marcos Galvao, Ryan LaFlare and Chris Wade, to name a few. I didn't feel threatened on the ground at all."



After his win over Jason, Bermudez raised some eyebrows as he called out a certain UFC legend by name during his post-fight interview: Frankie Edgar, former lightweight champion, current featherweight contender and fan favorite.

The East Coast-born-and-bred Bermudez is looking for a Northeast super fight. He wants his fight with the New Jersey native to be featured on the stacked card of the first UFC event in the state of New York, UFC 205, in Madison Square Garden on November 12. 

With Bermudez's current standing in the division, a win over a former champion and legend in Edgar would be a career-defining victory that could catapult him toward the featherweight title shot he wants. 

"That's the strategy." Bermudez said. "That's the game plan. He's a New Jersey guy, and I am a New York guy. The first UFC event in New York is in Madison Square Garden. It would be home field advantage for both of us. It would be one heck of a fight" 



MMA championships and UFC title aspirations aside, Bermudez recently locked up a world record, but not one that can be attained inside of mixed martial arts competition. Bermudez broke the Guinness World record for the fastest time to drink a liter of lemon juice through a straw. He managed to down the acidic juice in a record time of 22.75 seconds. 

"I was in the right place at the right time," Bermudez said. "There was this guy who is a big YouTube sensation who goes around doing these eating and drinking competitions. He had set this up, and I just happened to be there. He asked if I wanted to try it, and I said sure… and then I beat him. I walked out of there with a certificate and they sent me another official one with my name on it."

With one world record already under his belt, Bermudez said he will continue to focus on breaking even more records in his spare time. 

"I need to get the new book," Bermudez added. "I need to look around and see what other records I think I can break."