Sean Strickland Vs. Anthony Hernandez Breakdown

February 17, 2026

3 weeks

Sean Strickland Vs. Anthony Hernandez Breakdown

YouTube: UFC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipECQfPY4X4

Middleweights Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez face off at UFC Houston as we preview this fight.

Strickland is looking to rebound from a narrow title-fight loss to the-then middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 in February 2025. That meant Sean had secured just one win in his last three, which came against Paulo Costa, with the other being a defeat to Du Plessis in their first fight.

Hernandez is currently one of the leading contenders in the division, riding an eight-fight winning streak. He secured a fourth-round submission win over Roman Dolidze in his last fight in August 2025, which followed victories over Roman Dolidze and Brendan Allen.

Sean Strickland Vs. Anthony Hernandez Breakdown 1

Credit: UFC

Pre-Fight

“Fluffy’ is a hard fcking fight. Endless gas tank, he’s beat some of my buddies. I think Edmen (Shahbazyan) kind of s the bed in that fight. … Yeah, it’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait. It’s going to be a miserable fight. There’s going to be a level of misery there that’s hard to train for. It’s hard to train for that kind of misery. You know it’s going to be fourth round, fifth round. Like, f. Five more minutes of this f* parasite. That’s how he’s made his career lying on guys, but it’s hard,” Strickland stated

“This one actually makes me super excited because I love the matched energy. If someone wants to get crazy, it’s like, ‘Bh, run it.’ I’m all in for it. I’m actually really looking forward to this fight. It makes me super excited. I get to go out there, show what I can do against a tough [fighter] that everyone respects.

“I’m going to make it happen. You know me. I find my same ways always there, man. I’m telling you, the way he fights, I think it’s like stylistically the perfect fight for me. I think he’s very good, and I respect the f*** out of him. I know he’s tough, I know what he brings to the table. But I think I’m different. I believe that I’m worthy to be the world champion,” Hernandez said

Sean Strickland Vs. Anthony Hernandez Breakdown 2

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The Approach

Strickland relies heavily on a stiff, piston-like jab to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm and set the range. Tactically, Strickland is a master of economy; he rarely throws high-risk strikes, preferring to stay upright, parry shots with his shoulders and lead hand. Against a grappler like Hernandez, Strickland’s takedown defense (76%) and ability to return to his feet will be his most critical assets. In his fight against Paulo Costa, he showcased how he can nullify an opponent’s power simply by staying in their face and never allowing them the space to load up.

Hernandez currently holds the record for the most takedowns landed in UFC middleweight history. The tactical key for Hernandez is “making it ugly.” He excels in the clinch and in transitional moments where he can latch onto a front-headlock or a guillotine. In his last win over Roman Dolidze, he showed his sheer volume of movement eventually creates openings for a submission. Against Strickland, Hernandez must avoid getting trapped in a pure boxing match.