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Brett Okamoto
Multiple Authors
Sean Strickland anticipated a “miserable” fight against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez on Saturday in Houston, but it turned out to be a difficult night for Hernandez instead.
Strickland (30-7) achieved his first knockout in over two years, finishing Hernandez (15-3) with strikes at 2:33 of the third round. This marked Strickland’s return after a disappointing loss in a middleweight title match against Dricus Du Plessis in February 2025, a bout largely viewed as one of his poorest performances. but, he redeemed himself on Saturday.
“I know we exchanged some words at the weigh-in,” Strickland said, referring to the earlier tension with Hernandez. “But after that fight, I feel like I’m part Mexican. That was a f—ing war, and I can’t thank Fluffy enough. He’s the definition of a man. Honestly, Fluffy is the man I aspire to be. He’s married, a father, and a hard worker — he sets a higher standard than I could ever hope to achieve.”
Strickland, 34, was ranked No. 3 in the UFC’s middleweight division before the fight, going in as a notable underdog against Hernandez, who had won eight fights in a row. but, Strickland flipped the narrative from the first round, utilizing his renowned jab and footwork to control the fight.
This seasoned fighter expected to take Hernandez into the later rounds of a competitive match to wear him down, but instead, he landed a damaging knee to the body in the third round, finishing the bout with a series of body punches and uppercuts.
Strickland has suggested in recent interviews that he doesn’t foresee a title shot in the near future, especially given current champion Khamzat Chimaev’s past inactivity, yet he still called for a fight after his victory on Saturday.
“If Chimaev decides to return, I want to fight him,” Strickland stated. “You never know with that guy, but that’s my goal.”
Statistics from UFC indicate that Strickland outstruck Hernandez 92-62 in total strikes while defending against Hernandez’s sole takedown attempt. Fighting out of Las Vegas, Strickland acknowledged that he had been injured during his fight with Du Plessis last year and had missed part of 2025 due to a suspension related to a postfight incident in June.
The time away may have benefited him, as his last prior finish was a second-round knockout of Abus Magomedov in July 2023. For Hernandez, this loss ended an impressive win streak that began in February 2021. He last lost to Kevin Holland in May 2020, but then achieved eight consecutive wins, with six finishes.
“I thought I was doing well, maybe it was [one round each], but perhaps I got too careless and was caught by the knee,” Hernandez reflected. “That’s alright. I’m going to regroup and improve. We’ve seen how I performed the last time I lost; I came back stronger.”
