HOUSTON — Anthony Hernandez said he will regroup after a third-round technical knockout loss to Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC Houston on Saturday at the Toyota Center.
Strickland stopped Hernandez at 2:23 of Round 3 after landing a knee to the body that set up a series of punches. The defeat ended Hernandez’s eight-fight winning streak.
In an Instagram Story, Hernandez thanked fans for their support and acknowledged the setback. He said losses are part of the sport and noted that it had been six years since his previous defeat. In a separate post, he congratulated Strickland and said he plans to return improved.
A victory would have strengthened Hernandez’s case for a middleweight title shot. Instead, Strickland reenters championship contention following a yearlong layoff.
During his winning streak, Hernandez recorded victories over Roman Dolidze, Brendan Allen, Michel Pereira and Roman Kopylov.