Strickland finishes Hernandez, calls out Chimaev

UFC Middleweight contender Sean Strickland returned to his very best at UFC Houston this weekend, following a dominant TKO victory over the in-form Anthony Hernandez at the Toyota Centre on Sunday morning.

Strickland, who endured a demanding weight cut before the fight, showed no issues as soon as the first buzzer sounded.

Walked him down in H-Town 💥

Hear this Houston crowd when @SStricklandMMA got his TKO!

[ #UFCHouston | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VWcSTKKYlH
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026

While Strickland hoped to put himself among the list of fighters for a title shot, Hernandez entered the Octagon on an eight-fight winning streak. However, Strickland immediately went on the attack and asserted himself on his opponent with a familiar front-footed, pressure-style approach.

As a result of Strickland's flustering style, Hernandez was unable to establish early momentum as the former champion set the tone with a spate of signature jabs. Hernandez scored a heavy shot later in the round. However, Strickland walked away unscathed following a positive start to the bout.

It was much of the same for Strickland throughout the second round as he walked Hernandez down with a series of jabs while walking forward. Then, in a moment that shifted the fight entirely in Strickland's favour, the brash talker landed a knee to the body that wobbled Hernandez.

Despite his attempts to fight back, Hernandez fell to the canvas, allowing Strickland to unleash a flurry of swift lefts and rights before the referee stepped in to stop the onslaught.

Speaking after the fight, Strickland praised Hernandez’s toughness while calling out reigning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev in brutal fashion.

“You have some solid boxing, no one ever told me. No part of you was slowing down but you were getting a little bit sloppy. He’s a f––-g savage. That was a f––-g war. I respect the hell out of you,” Strickland said.