The middleweight clash between Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez at the Toyota Center was already set to be intense. But before the first punch was thrown, the atmosphere inside the arena exploded when Strickland was loudly booed and he did not hold back.
As the Houston crowd rained down boos, Strickland grabbed the mic and delivered a raw, unfiltered response:
Strickland responds to divided crowd
“I don’t even need to ask a question. Listen here you motherf***ers. I know you guys, you might want your local Mexican to win. There is nothing wrong with that.
But let me tell you, Lone Star… There is only one motherfer who stands in this fing cage and wrestles. I like a motherfer. F you.”
Fighting in Texas added another emotional layer. Hernandez, an American fighter with Mexican roots, clearly had strong crowd support. The boos made that obvious. Strickland heard it, felt it, and responded directly to it.
Styles that promise chaos
Strickland is known for relentless forward pressure, high-level cardio, and patience. He doesn’t rush recklessly; he stalks, reads, and waits for the right opening to strike.
Hernandez, meanwhile, thrives on volume and aggression. He pushes pace, throws combinations, and forces opponents into uncomfortable exchanges. His constant output can overwhelm even experienced fighters.
Two aggressive middleweights. A divided crowd. A viral pre fight confrontation. Houston isn’t just anticipating the fight anymore now all that tension has to be settled inside the cage.
The Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez fight took place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States as part of UFC Fight Night on February 21, 2026. The event’s preliminary card began at 5 p.m. ET, and the main card, including the Strickland-Hernandez headline bout, start at 8 p.m. ET, both streaming on Paramount+.
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