Strickland Vs Hernandez: Sean Strickland Dominates, Stops Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez in Round 3 at UFC Houston

At UFC Houston, strickland vs hernandez ended with Sean Strickland stopping Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez with strikes at 2: 33 of the third round at the Toyota Center, a finish that snapped Hernandez's eight-fight win streak and marked Strickland's first knockout in more than two years.

Strickland Vs Hernandez: the finish and immediate aftermath

Sean Strickland (30-7), fighting out of Las Vegas and 34 years old, hurt Hernandez with a knee to the body in Round 3 and finished the bout with body punches and a combination of uppercuts, forcing the stoppage at the official time of 2: 33 of Round 3. Hernandez (15-3), 32, wilted after the body strike sequence. Strickland called for another shot at the title and said he wants a piece of reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev if Chimaev "gets off the bench, " positioning the win as a statement despite earlier comments that he did not expect to fight for the title immediately.

How the fight played out

Strickland flipped expectations from the opening round, working behind his jab and active footwork to control range and volume. He was a significant betting underdog entering the bout, with Hernandez riding an eight-fight win streak; Strickland nevertheless dominated exchanges. Hernandez offered minimal grappling attempts in the fight and managed some striking moments in Round 2, but none altered Strickland's game plan. The pivotal sequence came in Round 3 when Strickland's knee to the body opened the path to the stoppage.

Numbers that mattered

UFC Stats credited Strickland with outlanding Hernandez 92-62 in total strikes and noted Strickland defended Hernandez's only takedown attempt. The stoppage was Strickland's first finish since a second-round knockout of Abus Magomedov in July 2023, and his first knockout in more than two years.

Context: recent history and interruptions

This was Strickland's first appearance since he lost a middleweight title fight to Dricus Du Plessis in February 2025, a defeat that was widely regarded as one of the worst performances of his career. Strickland admitted he fought Du Plessis with an injured shoulder and then missed time in the second half of 2025 due to a suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his role in a postfight altercation at a local event in June. He had predicted before the bout that he might have to take Hernandez into the fourth and fifth rounds, but the match ended in the third.

Hernandez's streak and response

Anthony Hernandez's win streak dated to February 2021 after a loss to Kevin Holland in May 2020; Hernandez had run off eight consecutive wins with six finishes before the defeat in Houston. The setback was Hernandez's third loss stoppage. Hernandez said he thought the fight was going well and suggested he may have gotten sloppy, and that he will go back to the drawing board and work to get better. Earlier in the week, Strickland and Hernandez exchanged heated words at the weigh-in; Strickland later praised Hernandez as a married father and hard worker, saying the bout was a war and that Hernandez is the definition of a man.

Co-main and other highlights from UFC Houston

• Uros Medic (13-3) delivered a star-making performance against Geoff Neal (16-8), scoring a knockout with a left hook to the temple 79 seconds into the opening round. The loss was Neal's second consecutive UFC defeat and his fourth loss in five bouts.
• 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).
• Performance bonuses of $100, 000 were awarded to Sean Strickland, Uros Medic, Melquizael Costa and Jacobe Smith.

What this means now

The win gives Strickland a high-profile stoppage and a clear argument for contention, particularly given his callout of champion Khamzat Chimaev. For Hernandez, the loss ends a sustained run of momentum that began after his May 2020 defeat and provides a reset point as he returns to the gym. Recent results at the Toyota Center in Houston included multiple finishes and several fighters earning performance bonuses, underscoring a night of decisive outcomes.