UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez Winners and Losers, Results
Sean Strickland isn't done yet.
The former UFC middleweight champion returned to action in the main event of the promotion's Saturday stop in Houston, with a mission to rebound from a second loss to Dricus Du Plessis. Standing across from him was Anthony Hernandez, a contender with eight straight wins in the rear-view mirror, and starkly different plans.
There was plenty of reason to doubt Strickland after his losses to Du Plessis, but he proved his naysayers wrong with one of the best wins of his career. He got things started with his trademark jab, and midway through the third round, derailed his opponent's win streak with a knee to the body and swarm of followup strikes. Just like that, he was back in title contention.
Earlier on the card, we saw new contenders emerge in two of the UFC's best divisions. In the co-main event, Uros Medic punched his ticket to the welterweight top-15 with a stunning knockout of long-time contender Geoff Neal. Just before that, Melquizael Costa set himself up for a move into the featherweight rankings with a first-round finish of Dan Ige, who had never been stopped before.
All in all, there were a few more decisions on the card than anyone wanted, but it was an entertaining show with major implications for a number of divisions.
As always, the B/R combat sports team was hand to provide live results and analysis. Scroll on for a full recap of all the night's action.
Loser: Nassourdine Imavov
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Nassourdine Imavov has got to be worried.
Suddenly, the title shot he seemed destined for is in jeopardy. That's all thanks to Sean Strickland, who gave one of the best performances of his career against Anthony Hernandez in Saturday's main event.
Before the fight, it was clear that both Strickland and Hernandez would need to do something spectacular to leapfrog Imavov in the queue for a crack at middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev. The Russian-born Frenchman has won five straight fights against elite competition, most notably knocking out former champion Israel Adesanya. That is objectively a hard streak to beat. The only point against Imavov is that he is not exactly a big name. That may even be why the UFC has still not announced a fight between Imavov and the champ. It makes sense that matchmakers wanted to see what happened on Saturday, in case a more marketable matchup materialized.
That's exactly what happened.
Strickland began his fight with Hernandez in vintage form, keeping his foe at bay with a steady diet of jabs. However, it quickly became clear that the former champion was being a little more aggressive than usual. That aggression paid off in the third round, when he caught Hernandez being sloppy, and scored with a devastating knee to the body. With his opponent hurt, he then finished things off with a blitz of uppercuts and ground strikes.
The win was Strickland's first finish in years, and his first victory following a second loss to Dricus Du Plessis. In other words, his streak is not on par with Imavov's whatsoever. Where Strickland has Imavov beat is in the popularity department. For better or for worse, he is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport, which makes him a very marketable opponent for Chimaev. And after the way he beat Hernandez, whose style bears some similarity to Chimaev's, he looks like a pretty credible challenger for the champ.
Imavov may still get the opportunity, but after Saturday, Strickland seems like he could too. The UFC could even look at the matchup for the upcoming White House card, given Strickland's status as a flag-waving American.
Winner: A Problem At Welterweight
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The UFC's top welterweights are all going to be looking over the shoulders after watching Uros Medic knock Geoff Neal out cold in Saturday's co-main event.
Serbia's Medic had some solid momentum heading into the card, with knockouts of Gilbert Urbina and Muslim Salikhov behind him. However, he had never fought anyone of Neal's caliber. The American has spent years in the welterweight top-15, and has mixed it up with some of the best fighters of this generation and the last.
Medic didn't just beat Neal, he obliterated him. It was the kind of one-hitter quitter that calls for repeated replays but is also kind of hard to watch — and it's going to send him hurtling into the welterweight rankings.
Medic sent a warning to the welterweights in the top-15 in his post-fight interview with commentator Michael Bisping, and the crowd in Houston understandably ate it up.
"Houston, we have a problem," he said. "It's me."
Medic concluded his post-fight interview by calling for a fight with former welterweight champion Leon Edwards, ideally in his home country of Serbia. He may be reaching a bit with that callout, but Edwards is riding three straight losses, and not really in a position to negotiate, so it's possible.
One way or the other, the UFC's top welterweights have a new threat to worry about.
Winner: A First Time For Everything
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Brazilian featherweight Melquizael Costa did something nobody has ever done before Saturday's main card: he knocked out Dan Ige.
Costa entered the Octagon with five straight wins behind him, and the look of a contender waiting to happen. However, the No. 14-ranked Ige, who is both powerful and durable, was clearly his toughest test to date.
Costa couldn't have looked better. After stinging Ige with several front kicks to the face, he switched things up, and floored his opponent with a spinning kick. A few follow-up strikes later, and the referee was pulling him away to end the fight.
This history-making win is likely to change Costa's life. Not only will it almost certainly earn him a $100,000 post-fight bonus, but it will send him crashing into the crowded featherweight top-15. Only the toughest matchups await him there—many of which make the fight with Ige look like a cake walk.
If Costa gets his way, his next fight will be against two-time title challenger Diego Lopes, whom he called out in his post-fight interview. That matchup is probably still a bit out of reach, but after performing the way he did against Ige, he's definitely going to like the name he sees on his next UFC bout offer.
Loser: A New Heavyweight Contender
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We may have been wrong about Ante Delija.
Delija, a lightning quick knockout artist from Croatia, has been on hardcore MMA fans' radar for quite a while. That's due primarily to his impressive run in the PFL, which saw him win one of the promotion's defunct annual tournaments at heavyweight.
Given his impressive accomplishments outside the UFC, fans were excited when Delija finally joined the promotion in 2025. It was too early to tout him as a future title challenger, but he seemingly had the skills to become a contender in a division that has needed new blood badly for years.
Delija gave a strong indication that he could make waves in the UFC heavyweight division in his debut, knocking out a veteran contender in Marcin Tybura. Unfortunately, he followed that up with a chaotic knockout loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and on Saturday, a decision defeat against Serghei Spivac.
While he survived to the final bell against Spivac, it was arguably worse for his future in the UFC than the knockout loss to Cortes-Acosta. He was beaten in every facet of the fight. He was controlled in the clinch and on the ground, and more surprisingly, beaten handily on the feet by an fighter who is known for his submissions.
The loss to Spivac doesn't completely negate the possibility of Delija working his way to a title shot, but it sure wasn't a good look. Spivac isn't exactly a world-beater, and he made it look pretty easy.
It's a shame, because Delija had the potential to breathe some new life into a heavyweight division that is suffocating due to a shortage of elite talent. It seems that responsibility will fall on somebody else's shoulders.
Winner: Exactly as Advertised
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Jacobe Smith had a ton of hype heading into Saturday's card in Houston, and it's easy to understand why. He entered the Octagon for his welterweight fight with Josiah Harrell with an 11-0 record, and finishes of Preston Parsons and Niko Price in his first two UFC bouts. He even got shouted out during Dana White's customary If You Don't Know, Now You Know pre-fight segment.
It's safe to say he is as advertised.
Early in the first round, Smith scored a slick trip to get Harrell — who was also undefeated — to the ground. From there, he quickly climbed into side mount, and from a position just slightly removed from a full crucifix, rained down punches to knock his foe out cold. It was an obvious contender for a Performance of the Night bonus, especially given the prevalence of decisions on the card.
Looking further ahead, it should set him up for a serious step up in competition. A ranked opponent might still be a bit premature, especially given the killers that populate the welterweight top-15, but he is surely ready for a capable veteran like Kevin Holland, who he called out post-fight. Somebody like Nicolas Dalby or Daniel Rodriguez would also do the trick. One way or the other, he has completely lived up to the hype so far, and will be an exciting fighter to follow over the next few years.
Loser: Middling Middleweights
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At his best, Michel Pereira was one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster. He was known for wild spinning attacks and acrobatic flips, and actually managed to turn his all-action style into some pretty impressive win streaks.
How things have changed.
Pereira was back in action on Saturday's main card, taking on his former training partner Zach Reese. He won the fight by unanimous decision, but it was a fairly debatable verdict, and a pretty mediocre performance regardless. He barely threw combinations in the fight, choosing instead to lob the occasional overhand or flying knee at his foe. His cardio barely held up, which has been increasingly common in his fights. He twice cried foul after very dubious low blows. Perhaps his worst offense of all was borrowing Max Holloway's trademark point-down move in the final moments of the fight, only to wind down the clock doing almost nothing of significance.
His win over Reese was crucial as it followed a trio of losses to Kyle Daukus, Abus Magomedov, and Anthony Hernandez. It will keep his career alive. However, it was so far removed from the performances he delivered at his best that it feels like it was more of a detriment than a benefit. Reese is good, but he's a fringe contender at best. If the best Pereira can do is scrape by this kind of opposition, does he really deserve a spot on the UFC roster?
Loser: A True Combat Sports Veteran
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We don't talk enough about the career Chidi Njokuani has had. When all is said and done, he'll never have won a major MMA title, but has been around the block and then some. The 37-year-old has been in 37 MMA fights, and 14 in the kickboxing ring. He has fought for iconic old school promotions like Tachi Palace Fights, popular feeder leagues like RFA and LFA, and spent years mixing it up with some of the best fighters Bellator had to offer.
He's been a member of the UFC roster since 2022. He's had some big wins since joining the promotion, scoring notably a KO of Marc-Andre Barriault in his UFC debut, and a three-fight streak in the welterweight division in 2024 and 2025. He has always shown a willingness to take on all comers, and while he's lost plenty of times, he's almost always been game.
Unfortunately, Njokuani seems to be nearing the end of his career.
At Saturday's card in Houston, he suffered a tough decision loss to a much younger power-striker in Carlos Leal. He had his moments in the fight, notably stinging his opponent a few times, but was generally out-hustled over three rounds. It was a second loss in a row after a first-round submission defeat against Jake Matthews last year.
Two-fight losing streaks are tough for any fighter to rebound from. It gets even harder for fighters as they get towards the final years of their careers, as Njokuani is.
While it's hard to imagine him turning his career around in any significant way, he deserves the respect of fight fans everywhere for the work he's put in over the years.
Winner: Evening the Score
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Saturday's undercard featured a bantamweight clash between Panama's Joselyne Edwards and France's Nora Cornolle. It was the second time the pair had met in the Octagon. Their first meeting occurred in Paris in September of 2023. On that night, Cornolle won by unanimous decision, and there wasn't much reason to assume they would end up meeting again.
By 2026, however, Edwards had more than earned a rematch, with three-straight stoppage wins behind her. She did not let the opportunity go to waste.
With the Houston crowd cheering on, Edwards picked up a very decisive win in her second meeting with Cornolle, leaving the Frenchwoman with an apparent shoulder injury after a volley of strikes and a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
It was surely very satisfying for Edwards to avenge her previous loss to Cornolle in such brutal fashion. The more important thing, though, is that she is now on a four-fight win streak, with all of those victories coming by way of finish. It's unarguably one of the best streaks in the women's bantamweight division right now, and it makes her one of the top contenders for a crack at the title. The title, of course, is currently in limbo thanks to an unfortunate injury to champ Kayla Harrison, but there aren't many people ahead of Edwards in line at this point.
Winner: Switching It Up
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Jordan Leavitt kicked off his UFC career by going 5-3 in the lightweight division. That's pretty solid considering the level of talent that exists at lightweight, but Leavitt still felt he could perform better in a lighter division, and decided to drop down to featherweight.
Leavitt made his featherweight debut in the second bout of Saturday's undercard. His opponent was Cuba's Yadier del Valle, an undefeated prospect with a perfect 10-0 record.
Despite entering the Octagon as a noteworthy betting underdog, Leavitt ultimately showed that there was a reason for his decision to drop down a weight class. He looked incredibly strong in his debut in the division, quickly taking his opponent down in round one, and controlling him until the round ended. That trend continued into the second and third rounds, setting Leavitt up for a well-deserved unanimous decision win.
The road ahead isn't going to be any easier than it would have been at lightweight. In fact, the featherweight division is arguably even more stacked than lightweight is. Still, the future looks very bright for Leavitt in his new weight class, especially given that he's still just 30 years old.
Loser: Backing Up the Talk
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Saturday's UFC event was kicked off by a flyweight scrap between Carli Judice and Juliana Miller. Heading into the fight, Judice was a huge betting favorite, thanks in large part to impressive knockout wins in her two most recent fights. Miller, who sported a 2-2 Octagon record heading into the fight, took serious issue with being the underdog.
"Someone decided to send me a picture of the betting odds in Vegas, +600 underdog?" she said in a video posted on social media. "Ya'll just think I'm going to lay down and let her smoke me, don't you? F—k you first off. That shit pissed me the f—k off. Like 2 percent of people think I have any chance in this fight? Any chance at all?"
Miller had a brief moment of success with a rear-naked choke attempt in round three, but in the end, she failed to back up her pre-fight talk. Judice kept the action on the feet for most of the three-round fight, stinging her opponent with straight punches and kicks for a lopsided unanimous decision win.
It's awesome — and expected — that Miller is confident in her abilities, but it's never a great look when you fail to back up that kind of pre-fight talk. Worse still, Miller is now below the .500 mark in the Octagon, which puts her spot on a very crowded roster at risk.
Things look much better for Judice, who is now on a three-fight streak. For her, a ranked opponent could be next.
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez full results
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Sean Strickland def. Anthony Hernandez by TKO (knee and punches) at 2:33 of round 3
Uros Medic def. Geoff Neal by KO (punch) at 1:19 of round 1
Melquizael Costa def. Dan Ige by TKO (spinning kick) at 4:56 of round 1
Serghei Spivac def. Ante Delija by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Jacobe Smith def. Josiah Harrell by KO (ground-and-pound) at 3:01 of round 1
Carlos Leal def. Chidi Njokuani by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Alibi Idiris def. Ode Osbourne by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Alden Coria def. Luis Gurule by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Joselyne Edwards def. Nora Cornolle by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:44) of round 2
Punahele Soriano def. Ramiz Brahimaj by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Phil Rowe by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Jordan Leavitt def. Yadier del Valle by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Carli Judice def. Juliana Miller by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
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