Sean Strickland returned to the win column at UFC Houston, earning a 3rd round TKO over Anthony Hernandez. The middleweight clash headlined the event and had high stakes.
Strickland, who entered the fight as an underdog, dropped Hernandez and secured the finish with strikes at 2:33 of the 3rd round. The victory marked a significant rebound for ‘Tarzan,’ who had lost to Dricus du Plessis in his previous bout. Before that setback, he earned a unanimous decision over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.
Hernandez, meanwhile, entered the bout with considerable momentum. He was riding an 8-fight winning streak and was within reach of a entering the title conversation.
With the win, Strickland reestablished himself as a viable contender in the middleweight division.
After the fight, Strickland praised Hernandez’s toughness and resilience. He invited ‘Fluffy’ to his post-fight interview and commended his resilient pace.
“[Hernandez has] some solid boxing. No one ever told me,” Strickland said. “I thought you were throwing a little wild and no part of you was slowing down. But no part of this man was slowing down. He was a [expletive] savage.”
Sean Strickland Issues Challenge to Khamzat Chimaev After UFC Houston Victory
Sean Strickland did not waste any time putting his name back in the title picture. He challenged reigning UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who he has trained with in the past.
Strickland made it clear that he wants a title shot and set his sights on Chimaev. ‘Borz’ won the title with a dominant unanimous decision over Dricus du Plessis. That victory showcased his elite grappling and wrestling, but ‘Tarzan’ believes he can negate that.
Strickland noted that it is unclear what Chimaev’s plans are, particularly after he hinted at a potential move up to light heavyweight. He also took a shot at his lack of activity as of late.
“If Chimaev finally gets off the bench here, I’d like a piece of that little Chechnya [expletive],” Strickland said during his post-fight interview. “But you never know with him, bro. You never know with that guy, but that’s what I want.”
Strickland Criticizes Chimaev for Poor Training Etiquette
Strickland also criticized Chimaev for displaying poor training etiquette during his time training at Xtreme Couture. He accused the middleweight champion of targeting smaller fighters and described him a bully.
According to Strickland, Chimaev constantly elected to spar with smaller fighters, so he could impose his will on them. He clarified ‘Borz’s long-standing claim that he submitted him in training was inaccurate. ‘Tarzan’ noted that it was a positional drill and they were not sparring, which is why he allowed ‘Borz’ to submit him.
While he disputed Chimaev’s claim that submitting him is the reason he dislikes him. Strickland revealed another reason. He noted that intentionally going after the weakest opponent factored heavily into his perception of him.
“[Chimaev] would pick the smallest, lowest level pro. He’d say, ‘Oh, he looks like my opponent.’ You’re beating the [expletive] out of him,” Strickland said during the UFC Houston post-fight press conference. “Chimaev’s a [expletive] bully. And if you notice what he does in the division, he just runs and [expletive] hides.”
Sean Strickland TKOs Anthony Hernandez in UFC Houston Main Event