With UFC Houston just hours away, Sean Strickland has produced another polarizing moment ahead of his main event clash against the dangerous Anthony Hernandez.
During the ceremonial weigh-ins and subsequent face-off, Strickland was booed by the South Texan crowd, and sure enough, ‘Tarzan’ did not let the disrespect slide.
Hilariously, ‘Fluffy’ bore the brunt of the collateral damage as the former middleweight champion went scorched earth on the local MMA fans in a fiery rant. After picking up the microphone from Jon Anik, Strickland took aim at Hernandez’s Mexican heritage, while calling him out over his fighting style:
“Listen here, you motherf**kers. I know you guys, you know. You might want your local Mexican to win. There is nothing wrong with that. But, let me tell you, to the Lone Star State. There is only one motherf**ker who stands and bangs, your f**king guy wrestles. I fight more like a Mexican than that motherf**ker. F**k you.”
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Check out Sean Strickland’s comments about Anthony Hernandez below:
Strickland is 3-2 in his last five and most recently suffered a unanimous decision loss to Dricus du Plessis in their middleweight title rematch. Meanwhile, Hernandez is currently on an eight-fight win streak, securing a fourth-round submission win over Roman Dolidze in his most recent bout.
Many believe a win this weekend would position either man as a leading contender for a future crack at Khamzat Chimaev’s middleweight throne, likely after the Chechen-born Emirati dukes it out with Nassourdine Imavov later this year.
UFC Houston: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez fight odds
UFC Houston, headlined by a middleweight clash between Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez, will go down on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
According to BetOnline, Strickland is listed as a +210 underdog for the matchup, with Hernandez currently positioned as a -250 favorite. However, the odds might change as the bout draws closer.
This means a successful $100 wager on ‘Fluffy’ will return a payout of $140, while the same bet on the former champion will provide a total return of $310, if Strickland gets his hand raised.
Edited by Ujwal Jain