Ufc Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez live from Toyota Center
At this ufc fight night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Sean Strickland returned to the octagon in the middleweight main event against Anthony Hernandez, a matchup that carried recent title history, a long win streak, and clear betting favor toward Hernandez.
Ufc Fight Night at Toyota Center
The middleweight main event took place Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The card opened with Hernandez as the undercard’s second straight main-event entrant — he was first out — and then Strickland was announced to walk inside the octagon moments later. The matchup drew attention both for its championship rematch background in Strickland’s recent past and for Hernandez’s eight-fight win streak.
Main event: early rounds, officials and crowd
The referee for the main event was Herb Dean. The judges assigned to score the bout were Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee and Junichiro Kamijo. During Bruce Buffer’s introductions, Hernandez received a big response from the crowd while Strickland drew a mixed reaction.
Round 1 unfolded with both fighters touching gloves and trading in the center. Strickland used his jab and a teep early while Hernandez stalked forward, working a body jab and an inside leg kick. Strickland landed a sneaky uppercut and continued jabbing; Hernandez answered with a right hand while moving forward and then put together a big combination that pressed Strickland against the fence. Strickland separated, but Hernandez drilled him with three big rights and Strickland went to the floor more as a slip than a clear knockdown. The round closed with Hernandez landing the more meaningful shots and Strickland posting volume with jabs; Hernandez pushed and finished with a late flurry.
Round 2 began with both men smiling and touching gloves before the bell. Hernandez set up a fake for a takedown and followed with a right hand, then marched forward to land a hard combination. A counter over the top landed for Hernandez, while Strickland continued to land the jab.
Strickland’s recent run and Hernandez’s streak
Strickland returned after more than a year out of the octagon, trying to get back on track after dropping two of his past three fights. The 34-year-old is a former middleweight champion who lost the title to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 in January 2024, then bounced back with a decision win over Paulo Costa five months later at UFC 302. He faced du Plessis again in a championship rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025, where he dropped a lopsided unanimous decision. The context notes he recovered from injuries and served a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission, making him a focal storyline for the card. Another summary line described Strickland as having won three of his past five fights.
Hernandez, 32, entered his second consecutive main event on an eight-fight winning streak. In his most recent outing he earned a submission win against Roman Dolidze this past August in the UFC Vegas 109 headliner; the coverage described that performance as one of the most dominant of 2025. The context also notes Hernandez earned a 2025 victory over Brendan Allen at UFC Seattle a year ago. FanDuel listed Hernandez as the moderate favorite at -245, with Strickland at +200. One pre-fight take in the live coverage predicted Hernandez would pressure Strickland against the fence, use quick takedowns and mat returns, and finish TKO in Round 4.
Co-main and undercard results
The card’s co-main and undercard produced the following outcomes:
- Uros Medic def. Geoff Neal first-round KO (1: 19)
- Melquizael Costa def. Dan Ige first-round TKO (4: 56)
- Serghei Spivac def. Ante Delija unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
- Jacobe Smith def. Josiah Harrell first-round KO (3: 01)
- Michel Pereira def. Zachary Reese split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29) — the coverage noted pros criticized questionable shots
- Carlos Leal def. Chidi Njokuani unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
- Alibi Idiris def. Ode Osbourne unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
- Alden Coria def. Luis Gurule unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Joselyne Edwards def. Nora Cornolle submission (RNC) (R2, 2: 44)
- Punahele Soriano def. Ramiz Brahimaj unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Phil Rowe split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
- Jordan Leavitt def. Yadier del Valle unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Carli Judice def. Juliana Miller unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
What’s next
It is unclear in the provided context what the next scheduled fight, rematch or official announcement will be for either main-event fighter or for the promotion’s upcoming cards.
