UFC Houston results: Sean Strickland knocks out Anthony Hernandez, calls out Khamzat Chimaev
sean strickland made a statement in his return at UFC Houston, stopping Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez in Round 3. The former champion came back after more than a year out of the cage and immediately called for the next title shot.
Strickland’s return and stoppage
Sean Strickland, the former UFC middleweight champion, scored his first stoppage since 2023 at the Toyota Center, halting Hernandez with a flurry of strikes in Round 3. The official time of the stoppage was 2: 33 of Round 3. Strickland entered the bout with a record listed at 30-7, and Hernandez at 15-3, 1 NC.
How the fight unfolded
"Tarzan" fought behind his signature jab, peppering Hernandez with heavy volume over three rounds. Hernandez offered surprisingly few grappling attempts, giving minimal resistance to Strickland’s game plan. Hernandez found moments with his striking in Round 2, but those moments did not change the fight’s trajectory. In the third frame Hernandez wilted off a knee to the body and was finished with a flurry of punches.
Aftermath and title call
In the post-fight interview Strickland directed his ire at reigning UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, saying he "wants a piece" of the division's undefeated king. The callout came immediately after the stoppage and followed Strickland’s first fight after more than a year away; his previous outing was an early February 2025 loss in a failed bid to regain the title from then-champion Dricus du Plessis.
Hernandez’s loss and implications
Hernandez’s eight-fight win streak was halted. The defeat was described as devastating for Hernandez and marked his third loss stoppage. Prior to the fight Hernandez had been a sizable favorite in the lead-up, and a win over Strickland likely would have earned him a shot at Khamzat Chimaev.
Co-main and other knockouts
In the co-main event Uros Medic (13-3) delivered a star-making performance against veteran welterweight Geoff Neal (16-8), landing a cracking left hook to the temple that knocked Neal out just 79 seconds into the opening round. The result was Neal’s second consecutive UFC loss and his fourth loss in his past five bouts. Elsewhere, 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).
Bonuses and card timing
Performance bonuses of $100, 000 were awarded to Strickland, Medic, Costa and Jacobe Smith. The event schedule before the fights had 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 on Saturday, Feb. 21. A social post after the event summed up the night as "a statement performance" and called it a "very impressive win. "
Pre-fight analysis had noted that three of Strickland’s past four fights came with gold on the line, and that he had lost twice to Dricus du Plessis while scoring notable wins such as making easy work of Paulo Costa and upsetting Israel Adesanya. Commentary before the event also described Strickland as a controversial figure whose public comments were labeled "pervasively disgusting, ignorant, and frankly, dull, " yet still a favored name in matchmaking. Predictions heading into the bout emphasized Hernandez’s eight-fight streak, his reputation as a strong grappler who attacks with volume and has excellent cardio, and the potential for a new No. 1 contender at 185 pounds by week’s end, with a mention of Nassourdine Imavov in that conversation.
sean strickland’s stoppage win, the co-main knockout by Medic, Costa’s spinning kick, and the four $100, 000 performance bonuses were the night's standout outcomes at UFC Houston.
