Sean Strickland knocks out Anthony Hernandez in UFC Houston main event, calls out Khamzat Chimaev

Sean Strickland returned from more than a year away to stop Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event, delivering a third-round knockout that immediately thrust him back into the middleweight title conversation. The victory matters now because it ended Hernandez’s eight-fight win streak and set up Strickland to publicly seek a shot at reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev.

Sean Strickland halts Anthony Hernandez at Toyota Center

Strickland, a former UFC middleweight champion with a professional record listed at 30-7, closed the contest at the Toyota Center with a flurry that forced the official stoppage at 2: 33 of Round 3. Hernandez entered the night with a record of 15-3 and one no-contest and had been riding an eight-fight winning streak—the longest active run in the division—before the defeat.

The fight unfolded with Strickland working behind his signature jab and steady volume over three rounds, while Hernandez offered surprisingly few grappling attempts. Hernandez showed some striking moments in Round 2 but never altered Strickland’s overall game plan. In the third frame Hernandez wilted after absorbing a knee to the body and then a series of punches that ended the bout.

Title implications: Khamzat Chimaev in the crosshairs

Immediately after the stoppage, Strickland made clear he wanted another crack at the title, calling out undefeated champion Khamzat Chimaev. Three of Strickland’s past four fights had championship implications, and his win over Hernandez—coming after a lengthy layoff—positions him back in the conversation for a title shot. Observers had noted that a Hernandez victory likely would have produced a clearer path to Chimaev for “Fluffy, ” meaning the outcome directly affects the No. 1 contender picture.

Anthony Hernandez: streak broken, questions about injury and approach

The loss is Hernandez’s third stoppage defeat and forces a recalibration after an eight-fight surge. Pundits had identified Hernandez as a high-volume attacker with strong grappling and exceptional cardio who can wear opponents down over 25 minutes; some had also expressed concern about how Hernandez would bounce back from a recent injury. Hernandez’s tendency to start slowly was noted as a potential liability against a defensive, rhythm-disrupting fighter like Strickland.

Uros Medic scores rapid knockout over Geoff Neal

In the evening’s co-main event, Uros Medic (13-3) produced a highlight-reel left hook to the temple that rendered Geoff Neal (16-8) unconscious just 79 seconds into the opening round. The finish continued a strong night for the winners and represented Neal’s second straight loss in the promotion and his fourth defeat in his past five fights. Medic had been characterized as a fast starter—only once in his career had he gone past the second round—and he confirmed that reputation on this card.

Melquizael Costa’s spinning kick extends streak; bonuses awarded

Elsewhere on the card, Melquizael Costa (25-7) scored a late first-round spinning back kick to the face that put away Dan Ige (19-10) and extended Costa’s win streak to six. Performance bonuses of $100, 000 were awarded to Sean Strickland, Uros Medic, Melquizael Costa and Jacobe Smith.

Pre-fight expectations and the event timetable

Heading into the night, matchmakers and commentators had framed the main event as a likely gateway to a title shot. Strickland’s controversial public comments had not diminished his standing with matchmakers or his following, and his recent history—losses to Dricus du Plessis, a stoppage loss to Alex Pereira at another point, plus notable wins over Paulo Costa and an upset of Israel Adesanya—had placed him perpetually near the top of the middleweight picture. Some analysts predicted a new No. 1 contender at 185 pounds by week’s end, even mentioning Nassourdine Imavov in the pre-event calculus.

The event schedule listed the early preliminary card as beginning at 5 p. m. ET and the six-fight main card at 8 p. m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 21; social timestamps from the night additionally carry a Feb. 22, 2026 mark. The full card was presented on a streaming platform.

What makes this notable is that Strickland delivered a stoppage—his first since 2023—immediately after more than a year away from the cage, a combination that both rehabilitates his momentum and fast-tracks his demand for a title opportunity. The timing matters because the division’s top positions and an undefeated champion are already in place, meaning each high-profile win reshuffles contender prospects.