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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 06: Sean Strickland is seen on stage during the UFC 312 press conference at Qudos Bank Arena on February 06, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Is “Tarzan” finally ready to wrestle?
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Sean Stricklandreturns to action against surging title contenderAnthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Houston this weekend (Sat., Feb. 21, 2026) inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
On paper, Strickland vs. Hernandez is a compelling stylistic clash. The former champion prides himself on his boxing-heavy pressure game, though his grappling has long been considered underrated. Meanwhile, “Fluffy” is a relentless wrestler with a suffocating top game and seemingly endless cardio. Both men are known for their durability and gas tanks, making a five-round war feel inevitable.
Most expect Hernandez to push a wrestling-heavy attack from the opening bell. But according to Strickland, that assumption may be misguided.
“I’ve never done much grappling, especially this late into my career, so this is a test that I wanted,” Strickland told UFC.com during UFC Houston media day. “I do much more wrestling than I do striking in my training camps — so really it’s just having the gas tank to wrestle for five rounds. Generally, he takes guys down and breaks them, but I’m not a guy who breaks, so it should be fun.”
“I think we will grapple. I’m not the hardest guy to take down — and I don’t care about getting taken down,” Strickland added. “I think it’s going to be a five-round grappling match, which I will out-grapple him — and then I’ll TKO him in the fourth or fifth round.”
"I'll TKO him in the 4th or 5th"
Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) envisions a lot of grappling followed by a finish of Hernandez in the main event of #UFCHouston this Saturday
Preview the #UFCHouston cardhttps://t.co/NUcYuG2XNxpic.twitter.com/QU7ruvl6S5
— UFC News (@UFCNews) February 17, 2026
That’s a bold prediction. Since moving to Middleweight in 2020, Strickland has scored just two stoppage wins — over Brendan Allen (watch highlights) and Abus Magomedov (watch highlights)— with the rest coming by decision. As for Hernandez, he hasn’t been finished since his 2020 loss to Kevin Holland (watch highlights).
With two pressure-heavy fighters who refuse to back down, expect a fun, high-paced chess match to determine who will wilt first.
To see who else is fighting at UFC Houston click here.
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