This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Houston, we saw a potential title eliminator in the middleweight division. Former champion Sean Strickland (30-7) was taking on surging top contender Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC).
Fluffy entered the octagon on Saturday night carrying an eight-fight win streak. He’s become the boogey man of the middleweight division and he’s just been putting it on every single opponent that’s been put in front of him.
That said, Sean Strickland is incredibly tough to look good against and this wasn’t going to be an easy fight for Fluffy. From the opening bell, you could tell that this was not going to be the same type of fight we’ve seen from Hernandez in his last few.
While he was fighting with his normal forward pressure, Strickland was catching him clean with jabs and 1-2s constantly. Every time that Fluffy would get started at UFC Houston, a jab was in his face. Strickland hasn’t fought well moving backwards in the past, but he looked incredibly good off the back foot on Saturday night.
Hernandez just never got any serious momentum going and then in the third round, he got hit with a crushing knee to the body. That knee almost dropped him and then Strickland swarmed. Hernandez tried to hang on and fight back, but ultimately he fell to the ground and Strickland got the TKO win at UFC Houston.
What’s next after UFC Houston?
This was a big spot for Hernandez and he would’ve likely earned a title shot had he won against Strickland. Now, he’ll have to go back to the drawing board and look to improve. Hernandez was disappointed with the loss, but in his post-fight interview, he seemed motivated to improve and get right back at it.
So, what does the UFC do with Hernandez next? Hernandez finds himself in an interesting situation given where things are in the division. Personally, I think Sean Strickland is going to get the next title shot which leaves Nassourdine Imavov without an opponent. That said, I don’t think Imavov fights Hernandez with Fluffy coming off a loss.
Maybe they look at a fight with Dricus Du Plessis, but I feel like DDP is getting close to a return having not fought since August. If we are being the most realistic, I think we look more at the loser of the upcoming Caio Borralho – Reinier De Ridder fight.
Hernandez was already supposed to fight RDR last year so I could see the UFC entertaining that fight. I’ll go with either Borralho or RDR for Fluffy next.
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