Strickland (29-7) has not competed since losing his championship rematch to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 last year in Sydney. The former welterweight holds victories over some of the biggest names in the division, including Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, and Paulo Costa, among others.
Hernandez (15-2, 1 NC) has looked unstoppable over the last five years, racking up eight straight wins with six nasty finishes. That includes his submission victory over veteran bruiser Roman Dolidze last August in Las Vegas. A big performance over Strickland is likely to land “Fluffy” the next middleweight title shot.
UFC Houston will also feature the welterweight showdown between 170-pound fan favorites Geoff Neal and Kevin Holland. Elsewhere on the card, heavyweight hurters Ante Delija and Serghei Spivac collide at 265 pounds while Michel Pereira and Zach Reese get busy at middleweight.
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