Strickland Vs Hernandez: Sean Strickland stops Anthony Hernandez by TKO at UFC Houston

main event at UFC Houston, the strickland vs hernandez matchup ended with Sean Strickland halting Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez by stoppage in Round 3, a result that reshapes the division picture and set up an immediate call for a title shot.

Stoppage details at the Toyota Center: Round 3, 2: 33, end of eight-fight streak

Sean Strickland halted Hernandez's eight-fight win streak with a flurry of strikes at the Toyota Center, the referee stopping the contest at the official time of 2: 33 of Round 3. The finish was Strickland's first stoppage since 2023 and left Hernandez — listed at 15-3 with one no-contest — on the wrong end of a decisive defeat.

Strickland's return and recent fight history: more than a year out, last fought Dricus du Plessis

The victory marked Strickland's first fight after more than a year out of the cage. He had last competed in early February 2025, when he lost to then-champion Dricus du Plessis in a failed bid to regain the UFC middleweight title. With the win in Houston, Strickland improved his career ledger to 30-7.

Tarzan's approach: jab, volume and the body shot that finished it

Fighting as "Tarzan, " Strickland operated behind his signature jab, peppering Hernandez with heavy volume across three rounds. Minimal resistance arrived in the form of surprisingly few grappling attempts from Hernandez, and while Hernandez found moments with his striking in Round 2, those moments did not alter Strickland's game plan. In Round 3 Hernandez wilted after a knee to the body and was finished by the subsequent flurry of punches.

Division implications: call-out to Khamzat Chimaev and Hernandez's next steps

In the aftermath, Strickland turned his attention to reigning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling him out in his post-fight interview and saying he "wants a piece" of the division's undefeated king. Hernandez now must go back to the drawing board after a devastating defeat; a win over Strickland likely would have earned Hernandez a title shot, and the setback marked Hernandez's third loss stoppage.

Co-main and undercard highlights: Medic, Costa and bonuses

In the co-main event, Uros Medic (13-3) delivered a star-making performance by landing a left hook to the temple that knocked out veteran welterweight Geoff Neal (16-8) just 79 seconds into the opening round. The result was Neal's second consecutive UFC loss and his fourth loss in his last five fights.

Elsewhere on the card, Melquizael Costa (25-7) continued his ascent by facing perennial top-15 contender Dan Ige (19-10) and scoring a late first-round spinning back kick to the face that extended Costa's win streak to six. In the bonus department, Strickland, Medic, Costa and Jacobe Smith each earned $100, 000 performance bonuses.

Full results, highlights and a play-by-play of the final four fights were posted following the event.