Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland will try to stay afloat in the 185-pound title chase when he collides with fellow Top 5 contender Anthony Hernandez atop the upcoming UFC Houston fight card, locked and loaded for Sat. night (Feb. 21, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
With a potential title shot hanging in the balance, this fight could change the 185-pound landscape.
Unfortunately, Strickland’s never-ending douchebaggery has overshadowed this weekend’s event in the “Lone Star State,” anchored by the welterweight co-main event putting Geoff Neal against Uros Medic. I don’t want to waste any time whining about “Tarzan’s” stupidness, so we’ll just stick to the fight breakdowns.
185 lbs.: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez
Sean “Tarzan” Strickland
Record: 29-7 | Age: 34 | Betting line: +225
Wins: 11 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 14 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 5 DEC
Height: 6’1” | Reach: 76” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.95 | Striking accuracy: 42%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.57 | Striking Defense: 60%
Takedown Average: 0.73 (64% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 76%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Dricus du Plessis
Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez
Record: 15-2, 1 NC | Age: 32 | Betting line: -275
Wins: 3 KO/TKO, 8 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’0” | Reach: 75” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.59 | Striking accuracy: 62%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.53 | Striking Defense: 49%
Takedown Average: 6.46 (48% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 68%
Current Ranking: No. 4 | Last fight: Submission victory over Roman Dolidze
Sean Strickland is just 4-4 across his last eight, which is far from elite, but you can also argue that he’s been fighting the absolute best in the division over the last four years. “Tarzan” didn’t look great in his most recent loss to Dricus du Plessis and it looked almost like a regression, stylistically speaking. It’s also worth pointing out that Strickland turns 35 next week and has 36 professional fights, so the mileage may be catching up to him. Don’t expect to see a much different version of “Tarzan” on fight night, we’re likely to get the usual bag of tricks: walk forward, jab, teep, defend takedown, walk forward, jab, teep, rinse and repeat. The trajectory of this fight all depends on how well he can maintain his defensive wrestling against an opponent who averages more than six takedowns per 15 minutes of action.
“I’ve never really done much grappling, especially later into my career, so it was more of a test that I wanted,” Strickland recently told UFC.com. “The guy’s on an eight-fight winning streak, so what better of a name could you have to beat? I do way more wrestling than I do striking in my camps, so really it’s just having the gas tank to wrestle for five rounds.”
Strickland has never exhibited any cardio issues in his UFC career, even in five-rounders.
“Generally, he’ll take guys down and break them, but I’m not someone who breaks, so it should be fun,“ Strickland added. ”I think I’m going to outgrapple him. I think we will grapple. I’m not the hardest guy to take down, I just don’t care if I get taken down. I think it’s going to be a five-round grappling match. I’ll outgrapple him, and I’ll TKO him in the fourth or fifth.”
Anthony Hernandez has looked unstoppable over the last five years and he’s lucky to have made it this far after stumbling out of the gate. Not only did “Fluffy” flunk his drug test following his victory on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in 2018, he also dropped two of his first three fights inside the Octagon — getting finished in both losses. I’m not sure what changed between then and now but Hernandez is among the best middleweights in the world and can punch his ticket to a 185-pound title shot with a victory over Strickland; who despite his faults, can be a difficult puzzle to solve inside the Octagon. In addition, Hernandez is not a striker with the power or precision to keep Strickland honest, so this all boils down to whether or not “Fluffy” can drown Strickland in the later rounds.
“I think he’ll try to wrestle me because the Du Plessis fight didn’t go well, and his coaches talked about it,” Hernandez said at the UFC Houston media day. “I think he’s going to try to probably show that he’s a better mixed martial artist, but I’m ready for everything, so I’m excited. The way I see it is, I kind of feel like the boogeyman. You call my name, and if you’re in front of me, I’m coming after you. So, it is what it is. It’s a business. I’m happy the former champ thinks he can take me out, so I’m looking to prove him wrong.”
It might be the only way to land the Khamzat fight later this year.
“I’m not focused on trying to take him out of there fast in the first round,” Hernandez said in a separate interview with NY Post. “I don’t mind f*cking torturing a motherf*cker for all 25 minutes. I really enjoy hurting people, as f*cked up as it sounds. It’s therapeutic as hell to me. So I don’t know, I’m going to come and if I can get the finish, awesome. If not, then I’m going to f*cking enjoy it.”
Strickland admitted to a difficult weight cut and suffered from “double vision” during his prolonged time in the sauna. Regardless, I don’t have high expectations for this fight in terms of entertainment value but that has more to do with their respective styles than their actual talent. An ugly split decision that has everyone arguing would not surprise me.
Prediction: Hernandez def. Strickland by decision
170 lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Uros Medic
Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal
Record: 16-7 | Age: 35 | Betting line: -220
Wins: 10 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 5’11” | Reach: 75” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.05 | Striking accuracy: 51%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 5.48 | Striking Defense: 57%
Takedown Average: 0.54 (45% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 87%
Current Ranking: No. 12 | Last fight: Knockout loss to Carlos Prates
Uros “The Doctor” Medic
Record: 12-3 | Age: 32 | Betting line: +180
Wins: 10 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 0 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’1” | Reach: 71” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.53 | Striking accuracy: 60%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.46 | Striking Defense: 56%
Takedown Average: 0.35 (50% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 55%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Technical knockout win over Muslim Salikhov
Geoff Neal came to UFC by way of Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in summer 2017 and looked like a future title contender early in his Octagon career, turning away Belal Muhammad and laying waste to the likes of Mike Perry and Niko Price. Unfortunately, a well-documented battle with addiction cost him five years of his competitive prime, reflected in his record, as “Handz of Steel” is just 3-5 over his last eight and coming off a brutal knockout loss to Carlos Prates. Neal is a well-rounded fighter with good defensive wrestling and knockout power, though sometimes he struggles to put it all together and seems content to play impatient headhunter. Now touting himself as rebuilt and refocused, we’re going to find out what’s left in the tank at 35, though it’s worth noting his Prates loss was last August — not exactly ancient history.
“He’s good. He’s 6-3, finished all his fights, he’s just reckless,” Neal said about Medic at the UFC Houston media day. “He’s do or die. Tough opponent, dangerous opponent. If I sleep on him, like, I’m going to go to sleep. I’m not sleeping on him, I’m taking him very seriously, I’ve been training extra hard. 100-percent ready for this fight. Hopefully it gets represented in the cage, but I’m 100-percent in better condition. That’s undeniable. Whether or not it translates to fight night, we’re going to find out. I believe that I’m going to go out there and I’m going to show out. I’m going to show ya’ll the pre-‘all that bullsh*t’ [version of] Geoff.”
Uros Medic is also a product of Dana White’s “Contender Series” but got his UFC start in 2020, a few years after Neal. Originally an oversized lightweight, Medic has performed better at 170 pounds and put even more weight behind his already-powerful punches. That gave “The Doctor” (last name is Medic, nickname ‘The Doctor,’ tee-hee) a couple of post-fight performance bonuses and a reputation for being one of the most dangerous fighters in the 170-pound division, win or lose. Medic has yet to see the scorecards in 15 professional fights and I doubt he’s going to start here, especially facing a striker with Neal’s power. This might be a good time to flip the script and break out some wrestling; but who are we kidding? Just let them bang, bro. That’s probably not a great strategy for longterm health, but fighters who make the fans happy will always have a job.
“Everybody knows the way I fight, I’m coming there to kill or die. And I think I’m going to kill this one,” Medic told reporters at the UFC Houston media day. “I don’t know exactly what kind of game plan is for the main event, but I think I’m going to steal the show. I think with my fighting style, I don’t really think about ‘oh I have to get a finish.’ It’s just a style of fighting, and I think the UFC recognized that early on, and that’s the reason I got the opportunity when I got it — and that’s the reason I got an opportunity again this Saturday. I put on a show, and people come to watch the show, and I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.”
A couple of years ago I would have picked Neal without even batting an eyelash. Unfortunately, I’m not feeling very confident about his career turnaround. That makes this fight a coin flip, with the winner coming down to whoever lands first. Considering Medic’s fearless offense and reckless abandon, I think he catches a too-patient Neal early in the opening frame.
Prediction: Medic def. Neal by knockout
