Sean Strickland stepped back into the cage at UFC Houston and secured a third round technical knockout over Anthony Hernandez in the middleweight main event at Toyota Center.
Strickland had not fought in over a year. The former champion was looking to recover after losing two of his last three fights. He dropped his title to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, later earned a decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302, and then lost a rematch against du Plessis at UFC 312. Injuries and a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission kept him out of action until this return.
Hernandez entered the fight with strong momentum. He had won eight straight bouts and was coming off a dominant submission victory over Roman Dolidze in a main event. He also held a recent win over Brendan Allen during his climb up the rankings. This marked his second straight appearance in a headline fight.
Herb Dean served as referee, with Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee, and Junichiro Kamijo assigned as judges. The Houston crowd reacted loudly for Hernandez, while Strickland received mixed cheers and boos during introductions.
Round One
Both fighters touched gloves before getting started. Strickland quickly began working behind his jab and front kick. Hernandez pressed forward and attacked the body while mixing in leg kicks.
Strickland stayed active with straight punches, using steady output. Hernandez answered with harder counters, including a clean right hand while closing distance. Late in the round, Hernandez fired a short burst of right hands that caused Strickland to stumble briefly, though he quickly got back up without serious trouble.
The round was competitive. Hernandez appeared to land the heavier shots, while Strickland kept a higher volume.
Round Two
The second round opened with both men smiling and touching gloves again. Hernandez used a fake level change before throwing a right hand. Strickland continued pumping his jab and added a right hand of his own.
Hernandez marched forward with combinations and showed more power when he connected. Strickland stayed composed, sticking to his jab and managing space. They briefly clinched along the fence before separating.
Through two rounds, the fight remained close. Hernandez had moments with strong combinations, but Strickland maintained steady pressure and consistent output.
Round Three
In the corner, Strickland was told to adjust and mix his attacks. Hernandez was encouraged to increase pressure and force exchanges near the cage.
Early in the third round, Hernandez secured a brief tie up and landed a short elbow on the break. Soon after, the momentum shifted.
Strickland landed a sharp knee to the body that clearly hurt Hernandez. He followed with punches as Hernandez dropped to the canvas. Strickland continued striking on the ground until Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight at 2:33 of round three.
The victory gives Strickland an important rebound in the middleweight division. After setbacks and time away, he returned with patience and finished strong when the opportunity came.
For Hernandez, the loss ends his eight fight win streak. He had success early but could not recover after the body shot in the third round.
With this win, Strickland moves forward in a competitive division and puts himself back in position for another high level matchup.
Watch the highlights below:
It’s finally main event time ⏰
[ #UFCHouston | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/xV8t7CG7Ai
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS @SStricklandMMA earns a TKO tonight in Round 3!
[ #UFCHouston | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/rv3yq5ZLfe
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026
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
HE’S BACK & BETTER @SStricklandMMA gets a massive win at middleweight tonight in the #UFCHouston main event! pic.twitter.com/VTzY46oO3b
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026
