Daniel Cormier believes Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez has earned a major step up in competition following his latest victory at UFC Fight Night Seattle.

Hernandez (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) extended his winning streak to seven after defeating Brendan Allen by unanimous decision in the co-main event at Climate Pledge Arena. His streak includes impressive finishes over Roman Kopylov and Michel Pereira, solidifying his status as a rising force in the middleweight division.

With that, "DC" now thinks it's time for Hernandez to face a top-ranked opponent.

Speaking on Good Guy/Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen, Cormier highlighted Hernandez’s rapid progression and suggested he deserves a high-profile opponent.

You know why I like him? Because I watched Nassourdine Imavov just knock out Izzy, but I also just watched Nassourdine Imavov go dog fight with Brendan Allen in France last year," Cormier said. "Imavov won that third round to beat Brendan Allen, barely. Hernandez goes and does that, too.

"Hernandez is the real deal, and if he can beat a guy like Brendan Allen right after he beats Pereira, and then he beat Kopylov, and then he beat Shahbazyan. He’s won four in a row now. It’s KO, sub, KO, unanimous decision. I think it’s time that we put this kid in there with someone real.

Cormier floated the idea of Hernandez facing former champions Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker, two middleweight stars who are currently facing career setbacks.

• Adesanya has lost three straight fights, a shocking downturn for the former champion.
• Whittaker suffered a quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, derailing his hopes of another title shot.

Both fighters remain among the division’s elite but now find themselves in a rebuilding phase.

The question is, though, can you get him a fight with a guy – I can’t believe I’m about to say this, because it just says how far we’ve come. Can you get a guy like Izzy to fight him?" Cormier asked.

"That’s the classic story, we tell it every time. He beat Allen, who’s No. 9. You’ve got (Marvin) Vettori who’s in there, (Jared) Cannonier at 7, Caio Borralho at 6, Robert Whittaker at 5, Izzy at 4. Can you get a Whittaker or an Izzy to fight this kid next? Because that’s that situation where you’ve got to start using those names from the prior generation now to elevate a guy like ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez.

With seven straight wins and victories over ranked opponents, Hernandez is in a position to challenge for a top-five spot. Whether he will face a former champion like Adesanya or Whittaker or be matched against another top contender like Marvin Vettori or Jared Cannonier remains to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that Hernandez has arrived as a legitimate threat in the middleweight division.