Overview
- Sean Strickland returns Feb. 21 in Houston after an NSAC-issued six-month suspension and $5,000 fine for storming a Tuff-N-Uff cage and punching Luis Hernandez Jr., a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officer.
- Strickland said he has no regrets, calling the layoff “dope” because it let injuries heal and joking about being able to hit a cop without going to jail.
- He posted an edited image depicting himself as an ICE agent and Anthony Hernandez in stereotypical Mexican attire; Hernandez condemned the imagery, called Strickland a “dirtbag,” and vowed to “torture” him in the cage.
- Hernandez enters on an eight-fight win streak, while Strickland says he sought this matchup and even predicts out-grappling Hernandez for a late TKO.
- With champion Khamzat Chimaev yet to defend since August 2025, the winner is being discussed as a potential next challenger, including by Chimaev’s coach.