Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland believes Anthony Hernandez will be the toughest fight of his career next weekend.
UFC middleweights Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez are two of the toughest fighters in modern Mixed Martial Arts. Both fighters put on entertaining fights inside the cage, while showcasing a hard persona outside of the Octagon.
For Strickland, his upcoming showdown with Hernandez at UFC Houston is paramount to potentially earning another title shot. Strickland will return to the cage for the first time since falling to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 last year.
Hernandez enters UFC Houston on a ferocious win streak as he continues to make a strong case for a potential title shot after his fight with Strickland. While Strickland isn’t usually complimentary of his opponents, this upcoming bout with Hernandez is different, for many reasons.
Sean Strickland: ‘Hard to train for misery’ Anthony Hernandez presents
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Strickland revealed how his preparations for Hernandez were among the toughest sessions of his career.
“‘Fluffy’ is a hard f*cking fight,” Strickland said.
“Endless gas tank, he’s beat some of my buddies. I think Edmen (Shahbazyan) kind of s*** the bed in that fight. … Yeah, it’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait. It’s going to be a miserable fight.
“There’s going to be a level of misery there that’s hard to train for. It’s hard to train for that kind of misery,” Strickland continued. “You know it’s going to be fourth round, fifth round. Like, f***. Five more minutes of this f****** parasite. That’s how he’s made his career lying on guys, but it’s hard.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Strickland is looking to earn his first victory since a win over former title challenger Paulo Costa at UFC 302. He’s had newly-minted UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev on his radar for years as their feud intensifies.
What is your prediction for Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez? Let us know in the comments!