Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland returned to action on Saturday at UFC Houston, anchoring the main event of the Fight Night Card against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.
Strickland entered the Toyota Center ready to fight for the first time in about a year when he lost a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis, who had dethroned him for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 297 in Toronto.
As for Hernandez, the eight-fight winning streak had made him a legitimate title contender; a win over Strickland could just be his ticket.
In traditional Strickland fashion, he used his jab and teep kicks to start the UFC Houston main event, with Hernandez walking him down as the crowd started a “Fluffy” chant. To his credit, Strickland was more than a two-trick pony, finding a home for a short uppercut as Hernandez closed the distance. Moments later, Strickland connected again and Hernandez smiled, a sign that he was more hurt than he let on. Strickland went on the attack and ‘Fluffy’ covered and survived a short attack.
Moments later, it was Hernandez who backed Strickland up, swung and briefly pinned him against the cage. Strickland would break free from that spot, regroup and get back to his jab and fight, quite well, with his back foot.
In the second round, Strickland fired a front kick early as Hernandez continued to look for a way inside. Strickland dodged one attack and countered with his right. Hernandez found more success on his next offensive, forcing Strickland to take cover and escape. The jab continued to serve Strickland well, and his movement kept him just out of reach of Hernandez’s attacks. Hernandez tagged the body; they would briefly stay in the middle, but for a lap and a half it was a Sean Strickland style battle.
The back half of the lap didn’t do much to change that impression. Strickland doubled down on his jab to start the third round, with Hernandez barely managing to finish the ex-champ with a punch of his own. Strickland remained difficult to hit for ‘Fluffy’, who didn’t even come close to a takedown for two and a half rounds, half of the scheduled main event.
Strickland, meanwhile, would nail Hernandez with a knee and swing wildly with a follow-up, missing. A flurry of punches that followed didn’t piss off, however, as Strickland let loose on a wounded ‘Fluffy’. Many of those punches landed, with lefts and rights looping, and Hernandez initially shot and then went down. Strickland added a few more and the referee made the call! A TKO finish for the ex-champ, in his best performance since winning the title against Israel Adesanya in 2023.
Strickland complimented Hernandez after the fight. “This man is the definition of a fucking savage.” He also admitted that he was open to a fight with Khamzat Chimaev should the champion not at least move up to 205 pounds.
Official result: Sean Strickland def. Anthony Hernandez by TKO (punches), round 3, 2:33
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