Sean Strickland knocks out Anthony Hernandez, calls out Khamzat Chimaev
sean strickland returned in vintage fashion Saturday night at UFC Houston, stopping Anthony Hernandez in the main event and immediately calling out Khamzat Chimaev for another shot at the middleweight crown.
Sean Strickland calls out Khamzat Chimaev
After the third-round stoppage, Strickland told the crowd he "wants a piece" of the division's undefeated king. The former UFC middleweight champion's declaration came minutes after he halted Hernandez's eight-fight win streak at the Toyota Center.
How the finish unfolded at the Toyota Center
Strickland (30-7) scored his first stoppage since 2023 with a flurry of strikes that ended the fight at 2: 33 of Round 3. Fighting behind his signature jab, Strickland peppered Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC) with heavy volume across three rounds. Hernandez offered surprisingly few grappling attempts, found some striking moments in Round 2 that did not alter Strickland's plan, then wilted after a knee to the body in Round 3 before the decisive punches landed.
Quick co-main knockout from Uros Medic
The co-main event produced another highlight when Uros Medic (13-3) landed a left hook to the temple that put Geoff Neal (16-8) out cold 79 seconds into the opening round. The loss was Neal's second consecutive UFC defeat and his fourth in his past five bouts. Notably, Medic has only fought past the second round once in his career.
Featherweight finish and performance bonuses
Melquizael Costa (25-7) extended his win streak to six with a late first-round spinning back kick to the face of Dan Ige (19-10). Four fighters — Strickland, Medic, Costa and Jacobe Smith — earned $100, 000 performance bonuses for spectacular finishes on the card.
Pre-fight context and card schedule
Before the event, the matchup carried clear title implications: three of Strickland's past four fights had the belt on the line, and a win here was widely viewed as a path back to the title picture. Hernandez arrived in Houston riding an eight-fight win streak — the longest run in the division — and a victory over Strickland likely would have earned him a crack at the champion. Observers had highlighted Hernandez's nonstop pressure, grappling and top-tier cardio, while noting Strickland's takedown defense, awkward style and past high-level wins, including a noted upset over Israel Adesanya and a dominant win over Paulo Costa. Strickland had fallen twice to Dricus du Plessis in previous title challenges and last competed in early February 2025 when he lost a failed bid to regain the UFC middleweight title.
When the event was slated earlier in the week, the card schedule listed the eight-fight early preliminary card beginning at 5 p. m. ET, followed by a six-fight main card at 8 p. m. ET. The full event streamed live.
Count out sean strickland at your own peril: that pre-fight sentiment held up as he delivered his first stoppage since 2023 and pushed immediately for another title opportunity.
What comes next for title matchups and contender movement is unclear in the provided context.
