Strickland Vs Hernandez: Strickland dominates Hernandez in TKO win at UFC Houston
Sean Strickland returned in vintage fashion in the UFC Houston main event, and strickland vs hernandez ended with a third-round stoppage that reopens the middleweight title picture. The former champion halted Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez's eight-fight win streak at the Toyota Center and used the post-fight spotlight to target the division's top fighter.
Strickland's return, records and the end of an eight-fight run
Strickland (30-7) made his first appearance after more than a year out of the cage and recorded his first stoppage since 2023. The controversial contender had last competed in early February 2025, when he lost a lackluster effort to then-champion Dricus du Plessis in a failed bid to regain the UFC middleweight title. On February 22, 2026 at the Toyota Center, Strickland halted Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC), ending Hernandez's eight-fight win streak.
Striking details: jab, body knee and the official finish
Fighting behind his signature jab, nicknamed "Tarzan, " Strickland peppered Hernandez with heavy volume across three rounds while Hernandez offered surprisingly few grappling attempts. Hernandez found moments with his striking in Round 2 but nothing that altered Strickland's plan. In Round 3, Hernandez wilted after a knee to the body and was finished off by a flurry of punches; the official time of the stoppage was 2: 33 of Round 3.
Aftermath: Strickland calls out Khamzat Chimaev
In the fight's aftermath Strickland set his sights on reigning UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, saying in his post-fight interview that he "wants a piece" of the division's undefeated king. A win over Strickland likely would have earned Hernandez a title shot, making this defeat a significant setback; the loss also marks Hernandez's third time losing stoppage.
Co-main fireworks: Medić's left hook and Neal's slide
Uros Medic (13-3) delivered a star-making performance in the co-main event, landing a cracking left hook to the temple that disconnected veteran welterweight Geoff Neal (16-8) just 79 seconds into the opening round. The knockout was Neal's second consecutive UFC loss and his fourth loss in his last five bouts.
Featherweight highlight and performance bonuses
Elsewhere on the card Melquizael Costa (25-7) continued his ascent at featherweight, scoring a late first-round spinning back kick to the face against Dan Ige (19-10) to extend his win streak to six. In the bonus department, Strickland, Medic, Costa and Jacobe Smith each earned $100, 000 performance bonuses.
