Strickland Vs Hernandez: Sean Strickland Stops Anthony Hernandez in Round 3 at UFC Houston
Sean Strickland delivered a decisive finish in the main event at UFC Houston, halting Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez at 2: 33 of Round 3. The result snapped Hernandez's eight-fight win streak and immediately refocused the middleweight landscape.
Strickland Vs Hernandez at the Toyota Center
In a bout staged at the Toyota Center, Sean Strickland (30-7) produced his first stoppage since 2023, ending the contest with a flurry of strikes after Hernandez wilted following a knee to the body. The official time of the stoppage was 2: 33 of Round 3. Hernandez entered the night with a 15-3 record and one no-contest, carrying an eight-fight run that came to an end with this defeat.
Sean Strickland’s return and in-cage tactics
Strickland, the former UFC middleweight champion, was making his first appearance after more than a year out of the cage; his previous fight took place in early February 2025, when he lost to then-champion Dricus du Plessis in a failed bid to regain the title. Back in action, Strickland fought behind his signature jab and heavy volume across three rounds, using constant striking pressure to limit Hernandez's opportunities.
How Hernandez’s strategy unraveled
Hernandez offered surprisingly little in the way of grappling attempts, allowing Strickland to dictate range and tempo. He found moments with his striking in Round 2 but none that altered Strickland’s game plan. In the third frame, a knee to Hernandez’s body preceded the barrage that forced the stoppage; the loss was the third stoppage defeat of Hernandez’s career. The cause—sustained high-volume striking and a pivotal body blow—directly produced the effect: a momentum shift that finished the fight.
Post-fight: Strickland targets Khamzat Chimaev
After the victory, Strickland turned his attention to the division’s top fighter, saying he "wants a piece" of the undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Hernandez’s defeat removed the immediate path to that title shot; a win over Strickland likely would have positioned Hernandez for a challenge at the belt, but the stoppage left that opportunity unrealized.
Uros Medić’s knockout of Geoff Neal
The evening’s co-main event featured Uros Medić (13-3) delivering a one-punch knockout of Geoff Neal (16-8). A left hook to the temple disconnected Neal 79 seconds into the opening round. The loss marked Neal’s second straight defeat in the UFC and his fourth loss in his past five bouts, while Medić’s performance drew immediate acclaim.
Melquizael Costa’s spinning-kick finish and bonuses
Featherweight Melquizael Costa (25-7) extended his winning streak to six with a late first-round spinning back kick to the face of Dan Ige (19-10). The finish underscored Costa’s upward trajectory in the division. Performance bonuses of $100, 000 were awarded to Sean Strickland, Uros Medić, Melquizael Costa and Jacobe Smith for their stoppages and standout finishes.
What makes this notable is how quickly the narrative of the middleweight picture shifted: Strickland’s successful return after a year-long absence and his emphatic finish immediately reinsert him into title conversations, while Hernandez must reassess after a rare lapse in grappling and durability. The timing matters because the stoppage both halted Hernandez’s momentum and handed Strickland a clear, measurable victory that came with an unmistakable public call for a fight with Khamzat Chimaev.
Overall, the night at Toyota Center produced multiple highlight-reel finishes and altered several trajectories in the UFC’s middleweight and adjacent divisions.
