Anthony Hernandez did not hold back when addressing Sean Strickland‘s online jabs and comments ahead of UFC Houston. Hernandez dismissed Strickland’s attempts to get inside his head and issued a chilling warning to the former middleweight champion.
Strickland and Hernandez are set to clash in the main event of UFC Houston tomorrow night. A decisive win could push the winner closer to a title shot, so there is a lot at stake.
Strickland has received plenty of attention ahead of the fight for all the wrong reasons. He first targeted Hernandez with social media posts. Later, ‘Tarzan’ faced backlash after making comments about Bad Bunny and the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight.
Hernandez said that he laughed off the social media posts Strickland directed toward him. However, he vowed to torture ‘Tarzan’ and made it clear that he does not plan on chasing a quick finish.
“If that’s the best you’ve got to get in my head, it’s going to be a long [expletive] night. That [expletive] does not faze me,” Hernandez said during an interview with New York Post Sports. “I’m excited for the fight. Like I said, I hope he keeps that same [expletive] online energy in the cage because I’m going to [expletive] torture him.”
He added:
“I’m not focused on trying to take him out there fast in the first round. I don’t mind torturing a [expletive] for all 25 minutes,” Hernandez said. “If I can get the finish, awesome, if not, then I’m going to [expletive] enjoy it.”
Anthony Hernandez Says He Received Strong Fan Support Ahead of Sean Strickland Fight
Anthony Hernandez also noted that he has received strong support from fans ahead of his bout with Sean Strickland.
‘Fluffy’ received strong support, especially after Strickland’s social media post depicting himself as an ICE agent. While discussing his mentality ahead of UFC Houston, Hernandez said that the fan support is appreciated, but doesn’t affect his strategy.
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages, like ‘[expletive] him up, do this,’ but at the end of the day, I’ve got a lot of people behind me, which is a beautiful blessing and I love that,” Hernandez told New York Post Sports. “I’m going to just go out there and do what I do best.”
Hernandez also stressed that he has his sights set on the middleweight championship.
“I tell everyone I’m not where I want to be, I want the [expletive] title, so [the Strickland fight] is just another fight.”
Hernandez Favored to Defeat Strickland at UFC Houston
Hernandez is currently favored by oddsmakers to defeat Strickland in their main event clash at UFC Houston.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Hernandez, who enters on an 8-fight winning streak, stands as a -300 favorite. Strickland, meanwhile, enters following a unanimous decision loss to Dricus du Plessis in their title fight last year. ‘Tarzan’ sits as a +235 underdog.
A $20 wager on Hernandez will yield a total payout of $26.67. That same $20 wager on Strickland to win would be more lucrative, resulting in a total payout of $67.
Anthony Hernandez Issues Chilling Warning to Sean Strickland Before UFC Houston