Strickland Vs Hernandez: Main Card Results From UFC Houston After Strickland KO
Sean Strickland delivered a statement in the main event as Strickland Vs Hernandez ended with a third-round stoppage that halted Anthony Hernandez's eight-fight win streak. The finish, at the Toyota Center, doubled as Strickland's first stoppage since 2023 and his return fight after more than a year away from the cage.
Strickland Vs Hernandez: Main event recap
In the headliner, the former UFC middleweight champion used a measured approach, fighting behind his signature jab and peppering Anthony Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC) with heavy volume across three rounds. Hernandez entered the fight as a sizable favorite and found moments with his striking in Round 2, but those moments did not derail Strickland's game plan.
Minimal grappling attempts came from Hernandez during the bout. In Round 3, Hernandez wilted after a knee to the body and Strickland followed with a flurry of punches that led to the stoppage. The official time of the finish was 2: 33 of Round 3. The setback marked Hernandez's third loss stoppage and ended his eight-fight win streak.
Strickland's return and title callout
The performance was Strickland's first competition since early February 2025, when the controversial contender lost a lackluster effort in a failed bid to regain the UFC middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis. That long layoff preceded a sharp comeback: Strickland (30-7) looked revitalized in Houston and immediately targeted the division's top fighter, the reigning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling for another shot and saying he wants a piece of the division's undefeated king.
Co-main and other standout finishes
The co-main produced a sudden knockout: Uros Medic (13-3) landed a cracking left hook to the temple that disconnected veteran welterweight Geoff Neal (16-8) just 79 seconds into the opening round. That result was Neal's second consecutive UFC loss and his fourth defeat in his past five outings.
Elsewhere on the card Melquizael Costa (25-7) continued an upward run in the featherweight ranks. Tasked with facing perennial top-15 contender Dan Ige (19-10), Costa scored a late first-round spinning back kick to the face that extended what was described as an impressive win streak to six. Pre-event analysis had characterized Costa as having won five fights in a row, a view that was overtaken by the evening's result.
Bonuses, full results and immediate implications
Performance bonuses of $100, 000 were awarded to Strickland, Medic, Costa and Jacobe Smith. The night produced multiple highlight finishes and a slate of decisive moments that will shape matchmaking conversations in the middleweight, welterweight and featherweight divisions. Full UFC Houston results and highlights are available for review.
Pre-fight predictions and betting notes from the card build-up
The build toward the 14-fight card noted that the event resembled a slate normally seen at the promotion's Apex venue. Betting lines used in pre-event analysis were described as accurate to the post date. Pre-fight commentary had emphasized Anthony Hernandez's all-action, grappling-heavy style and noted an average of 144. 2 DraftKings points across his last three fights.
That same pre-event analysis stressed Sean Strickland's solid takedown defense and his ability to get back to his feet when grounded, with the expectation that Hernandez would attempt to swarm and impose his grappling. Observers also flagged Melquizael Costa's ability to marry range striking with superior grappling as the driver of his ascent.
Other matchup notes from the preview included a three-inch height disadvantage for Dan Ige, concerns that Jacobe Smith—nicknamed "Cobe" in coverage—can overextend early as he chases finishes, and projection that Josiah Harrell would struggle physically against Smith. In a separate fight projection, Pereira had been noted as having lost his last three fights, while Zachary Reese was expected to be a popular underdog; Pereira was also described as much faster than Reese and possessing a takedown defense rate of 76 percent.
Additional preview details covered Yadier Del Valle's win over Isaac Dulgarian, which ended by submission in Round 1 amid suspicious heavy betting on Dulgarian; the line for Del Valle was judged by some as too wide against Jordan Leavitt, who would lean on grappling. Ramiz Brahimaj was described as a powerful grappler with a strong guillotine but previously dominated by Themba Gorimbo and Court McGee; his matchup with Soriano referenced that Soriano had been submitted just once in 16 fights and can strike if threatened from top position by a 33-year-old opponent. Luis Gurule was called a functional boxer and wrestler who has had trouble avoiding the clinch, notably against Jesus Aguilar, while Coria was expected to crowd and work grappling. One preview line noted Edwards had found a new lease on her career by mixing wrestling with kickboxing; a related note on Nora Cornolle reads that she was getting easily controlled on the ground against Hailey Cowan before she found just the—unclear in the provided context.
The night in Houston delivered decisive outcomes that answered several pre-fight questions and created new ones about title paths and rematches, most notably in the middleweight division after Strickland's emphatic return.
