Sean Strickland seemingly had a really tough weight minimize for his subsequent UFC battle.
Strickland, a former middleweight champion, will return to the motion in the principle occasion of UFC Houston on Saturday evening. His opponent can be surging, No. 4-ranked contender Anthony Hernandez.
Forward of the battle, Strickland wanted to get his weight right down to 186 lbs—the restrict for non-title middleweight fights. Whereas he in the end made weight, he apparently suffered imaginative and prescient points and different signs as he tried to shed water weight.
Sean Strickland describes brutal UFC Houston weight minimize
Appears to be like like Sean Strickland is having a tough weight minimize 😬
“I can solely see out of 1 eye. I’ve like double imaginative and prescient.”
(through @SStricklandMMA) pic.twitter.com/HPvoIccT4P
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 20, 2026
“I don’t know why however after I minimize weight I can solely see out of 1 eye, or I’ve like double imaginative and prescient,” Strickland mentioned in a video posted on his social media channels. “I feel it’s the worst a part of chopping weight, at all times having to stroll round with one eye closed. That is actually what we receives a commission to do, chopping weight. It’s worse than preventing. We’re nearly there.”
Strickland is using back-to-back determination losses to South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis. The primary loss marked the tip of his UFC title reign, and the second noticed him fail to reclaim the belt.
Hernandez, his opponent, has received eight straight fights. Whereas the subsequent crack at middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev is anticipated to go to Nassourdine Imavov, nothing is official but. Which means the Strickland vs. Hernandez winner might conceivably minimize to the entrance of the road.
Each males made middleweight contenders made weight for the battle. Strickland tipped the scales at 185 lbs, and Hernandez hit 186. The oddsmakers favor Hernandez to win the matchup.
