Sean Strickland handed ‘Fluffy’ first loss in five years
A short suspension from the competition followed at UFC Houston get into an argument At an event last summer, Sean Strickland wanted to prove his point in his encounter with Hernandez. He went to the Octagon just once in 2025, wrestling division foe and then-UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis.
Sean Strickland previously suffered a loss to the South African in his first title defense when he retained the title, but couldn’t get the job done in the rematch. He fell to “Stillknocks” by unanimous decision after brutally breaking his nose.
Forced to wait on the sidelines for more than a year, Sean Strickland was tasked with halting the rise of the man many considered the next great 185-pound competitor, Hernandez. Anthony Hernandez was undefeated for half a decade and was in the middle of an amazing eight-fight win streak.
Anthony Hernandez had a tough night against Sean Strickland
The California native emerged as one of the premier young names to work their way up the stacked middleweight ladder in recent years, having battled his way through top-level competition including Michel Pereira, Roman Kopylov and Roman Dolidze. For much of his long warpath in the winner’s circle, he was known for using a grueling speed that his enemies could not withstand, with ‘Fluffy’ outlanding. virtually any opponent he faced significant strikes.
While his gas tank and volume attack tended to melt his former opponents, it was Sean Strickland who took Hernandez to deep water early and pelted the previous LFA title holder with punches. In the third round, the damage began to take its toll on Hernandez, who eventually folded under pressure from ‘Tarzan’, leading to the former UFC Middleweight Champion securing the knockout and his since June 2024.
Is Sean Strickland next for UFC Middleweight Champion?
What Sean Strickland accomplished last Saturday was nothing short of incredible, handing Hernandez just the third loss of his nearly 20-fight professional career. He also elevated himself to a relevant position in the middleweight rankings, potentially giving him another chance to challenge for his old title. However, it remains to be seen if that is the case, as several other prominent fighters in the weight class have emerged over the past year as additional candidates for a clash with current 185-lb top Khamzat Chimaev.
Joining his own string of successes, France’s Nassourdine Imavov has left a trail of dominant performances in his wake. With just one setback since 2023, that one loss to Strickland, Imavov’s journey to top contender has been nothing but extraordinary, with fantastic wins over Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen and Israel Adesanya.
Allen himself has done exceptionally well since dropping a decisive defeat to Hernandez last year, taking back-to-back victories and defeating both his bitter rival Marvin Vettori and former two-division ruler Reinier de Ridder. De Ridder’s win turned out to be the most defining victory of his entire career, as it was the first time the Dutchman had lost in the promotion.
Sean Strickland firmly in the running for UFC Middleweight Crown
In the tight race for the title, Sean Strickland is neck and neck with some of the best fighters in the world. After stunning victories in their own last matches, Imavov and Allen are also clamoring to get their hands on the undefeated Chimaev. Whether he is selected as the next man to go for gold or not, Strickland has put the adversity behind him and re-established himself as a leading figure in the division, one more than capable of capturing the next generation of up-and-coming talent with apparent ease.
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