After a year out of action, former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland returned to action to headline Saturday’s UFC Houston, against surging contender Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.
On an eight-fight win streak, the laid back (outside the cage) and deadly (inside it) Hernandez was poised to claim a title shot.
Strickland, always controversial, was looking to bounce back from a second loss to Dricus Du Plessis. 185lb champ Khamzat Chimaev, meanwhile, has of late been teasing a move to 205lbs, meaning the middleweight title is very much in limbo. A theme Strickland jumped on during this week’s UFC Houston media day, where the Xtreme Couture fighter had another of his patented, rambling conversations with assembled media members.
The takeaway? Strickland hasn’t changed, was willing to fight Chimaev, called him a terrorist, dragged the Rousey-Carano fight, and said really nothing that will make it likely to see him given the nod over Nassourdine Imavov.
Imavov sits in the #2 position in the division, behind only another ex-champ in Du Plessis. Strickland is #3, Hernandez #4, though that would almost certainly flip with a “Fluffy” win on Saturday.
Following UFC Houston, tune in for the night’s post-fight press conference. A live stream is available in the embed above.
