Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez live in Houston: who feels the biggest impact at Toyota Center

Why this matters now: sean strickland’s return after more than a year away reshapes the narrative for the UFC Houston main event at Toyota Center in the Lone Star State—both for his own comeback arc and for Anthony Hernandez’s momentum entering his second straight main event. The matchup matters first for the fighters and the Houston crowd, with championship history, recent suspensions and an eight-fight win streak all colliding on one card.

Sean Strickland’s immediate impact on the card and the crowd

Strickland arrived as the story of the week: a former middleweight champion who’s been out of the octagon for over a year, coming off two losses in his past three. He lost the title to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 in January 2024, then returned with a decision win over Paulo Costa five months later at UFC 302. He later faced du Plessis again in a championship rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025 and dropped a lopsided unanimous decision. After recovering from injuries and serving a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission, Strickland’s presence dominated pre-fight attention for this Houston card.

Officials, introductions and betting lines

The referee for the main event is Herb Dean, with judges Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee and Junichiro Kamijo assigned to score the fight. Bruce Buffer handled the introductions; the crowd gave a big response for Hernandez and a mixed reaction for Strickland. Betting closed with Hernandez the moderate favorite at -245 and Strickland listed at +200.

Fight details: first moments and Round 1 action

Hernandez was first out; Strickland followed and moments later the action began. They touched gloves and took the center. Strickland opened with his jab and a teep while Hernandez stalked forward, working body jabs and an inside leg kick. Hernandez started a bit slow but landed a right hand moving forward; Strickland answered with volume and a sneaky uppercut. Late in the round Hernandez pressed Strickland to the fence, exchanged a big combination and drilled three big rights that sent Strickland to the canvas—more as a slip than a clear knockdown. Hernandez landed the more meaningful shots overall while Strickland piled up jabs and activity; Hernandez closed the round on a late flurry.

Round 2 — opening sequences (live blog cut mid-exchange)

Both fighters smiled and touched gloves before the second round began. Hernandez showed a good fake for a takedown into a right hand, and Strickland answered with a jab and a right hand of his own. Hernandez marched forward and landed a hard combinati—unclear in the provided context how the rest of that exchange finished.

Here’s the part that matters: Hernandez entered this fight riding an eight-fight win streak and recent dominant finishes, while Strickland carries championship experience and a return narrative that drew most of the pre-fight attention.

• Hernandez’s momentum: an eight-fight win streak heading into this main event, including a submission win over Roman Dolidze in August 2025 at the UFC Vegas 109 headliner described as one of the most dominant performances of 2025.
• Recent notable wins for Hernandez also include a 2025 victory over Brendan Allen at UFC Seattle a year ago.
• Strickland’s recent timeline: lost title at UFC 297 (January 2024), decision win at UFC 302 five months later, then a lopsided unanimous decision loss at UFC 312 (February 2025), followed by injury recovery and a Nevada Athletic Commission suspension.
• Officials and atmosphere: Herb Dean refereeing; judges Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee, Junichiro Kamijo; strong crowd support for Hernandez, mixed for Strickland.

Pre-fight analysis noted that this matchup poses stylistic danger for Strickland if Hernandez keeps pressure and pushes for takedowns, with one projection favoring a fourth-round TKO finish for Hernandez should that plan unfold.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of Strickland’s suspension and recent losses plus Hernandez’s run of form makes the fight a pivotal moment for both men’s near-term trajectories.

Key immediate takeaways:

• Strickland returned to headline after a lengthy absence and several high-profile fights on his record.
• Hernandez’s eight-fight streak and dominant August win established him as the betting favorite and a momentum fighter entering this Houston main event.
• Officials and crowd energy set the stage: Herb Dean in the cage, three named judges, and a Houston crowd leaning toward Hernandez.
• Round 1 favored Hernandez for meaningful strikes; Strickland maintained volume and counter work.
• Round 2 coverage in the live blog cuts off mid-exchange—unclear in the provided context how the round concluded.

The real question now is how each fighter handles the next stretch: Hernandez riding a streak and looking to impose his game; Strickland trying to translate championship experience into a comeback win on this high-profile Houston stage.