Ufc Fight Night — Fight-By-Fight Preview and Live Results From Houston: Strickland vs. Hernandez

The Houston ufc fight night at Toyota Center centered on a pivotal middleweight main event as Sean Strickland returned from a long layoff to face Anthony Hernandez. The card produced a series of decisive finishes on a busy night in the Lone Star State and offered a test of momentum for both headliners.

Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez — headline stakes

Sean Strickland, 34 years old, returned to action after more than a year out of the octagon. He was seeking to get back on track after dropping two of his past three fights. Strickland lost the middleweight title to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 in January 2024, then bounced back with a decision win against Paulo Costa five months later at UFC 302. He later faced du Plessis in a championship rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025, where Strickland dropped a lopsided unanimous decision. After recovering from injuries and going through a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission, Strickland became the story of the week for the fight card.

Anthony Hernandez, 32 years old, entered his second consecutive main event riding an eight-fight win streak. Hernandez’s most recent bout before this card was a dominant submission win against Roman Dolidze in August in the UFC Vegas 109 headliner. Hernandez also earned a 2025 victory over Brendan Allen at UFC Seattle a year ago.

Ufc Fight Night main event atmosphere, officials and odds

The referee assigned to the main event was Herb Dean. The judges for the fight were Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee, and Junichiro Kamijo. The crowd response favored Hernandez with a big reaction, while Strickland received a mixed reception during the introductions.

Betting closed with Anthony Hernandez the moderate favorite at -245, while Sean Strickland closed at +200.

Round-by-round snapshot: early action from the live blog

Round 1: The fighters touched gloves and opened in the center. Strickland used his jab and teep early while Hernandez stalked forward. Hernandez targeted the body with a jab and landed an inside leg kick. Hernandez began slowly but then connected with a right hand moving forward. Strickland landed a jab and a sneaky uppercut. Hernandez landed a big combination and pressed Strickland against the fence before Strickland separated. Late in the round Hernandez drilled three big rights and Strickland went to the floor, which appeared more like a slip. Hernandez landed the more meaningful shots while Strickland produced volume and jabs; Hernandez closed the round with a late flurry.

Round 2: The fighters smiled and touched gloves before the round began. Hernandez faked a takedown and followed with a right hand. Strickland continued to work the jab and landed a right hand. Hernandez marched forward and landed a hard combination with a notable counter over the top. Strickland continued to land the jab.

Co-main and full card results

The co-main welterweight contest ended with Uros Medic defeating Geoff Neal — first-round KO (1: 19). Other confirmed results from the card included:

• Melquizael Costa def. Dan Ige — first-round TKO (4: 56)
• Serghei Spivac def. Ante Delija — unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jacobe Smith def. Josiah Harrell — first-round KO (3: 01)
• Michel Pereira def. Zachary Reese — split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
• Carlos Leal def. Chidi Njokuani — unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Alibi Idiris def. Ode Osbourne — unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alden Coria def. Luis Gurule — unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Joselyne Edwards def. Nora Cornolle — submission (RNC) (R2, 2: 44)
• Punahele Soriano def. Ramiz Brahimaj — unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Phil Rowe — split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
• Jordan Leavitt def. Yadier del Valle — unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Carli Judice def. Juliana Miller — unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

What this ufc fight night means and next steps

This ufc fight night in Houston crystallized key trajectories: Strickland returned after a difficult stretch and publicised disciplinary and injury setbacks, while Hernandez continued a multi-fight surge that included recent high-profile finishes. One preview voice projected Hernandez would pressure Strickland against the fence, look for takedowns and mat returns, and ultimately finish the fight by TKO in Round 4 as frustration mounted for Strickland. That projection captured the central tactical narrative heading into the later rounds.

For now, the event’s official outcomes, judges’ tallies and the list of finishes above capture the night’s decisive moments. Further updates and full round coverage may flesh out the remainder of the fight-by-fight sequence that began in the live blog excerpt above.