Sean Strickland rips former UFC champion in brutal statement before UFC Houston fight

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland recently voiced his concerns about the current state of the division ahead of his scheduled UFC Fight Night main event against Anthony Hernandez February 21 from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.

Strickland is back to his old trash-talking ways upon his return to the promotion for the first time since last February, when he dropped the rematch to then-champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312.

Simply put, Strickland is not fond of fighting Robert Whittaker as a win-and-in for another title shot.

"I don't want Whittaker," Strickland told the Kairouz Bros. "I beat Whittaker, there's no title shot ahead of that. It doesn't do anything. Gatekeeper fighter, but it doesn't do anything for me....The good thing about 'Fluffy' is guy's on like a 50-fight winning streak. You're next in line. He's like the American [Khamzat] Chimaev. That's the fight. That's the next title fight."

Hernandez has actually won eight in a row instead of "50," but the fight is obviously massive.

Anthony Hernandez Attempts To Rebound vs. Sean Strickland

Feb 22, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Anthony Hernandez (blue gloves) leaves the ring after defeating Brendan Allen (red gloves) in the middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Hernandez had to pull out against Reinier de Ridder before UFC Vancouver, making his return just as monumental as Strickland's.

"As you’ve all probably seen, unfortunately, I’ve had to pull out of my upcoming fight due to injury," Hernandez said. "I want to sincerely apologize to the UFC, to my opponent [RDR] , and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup. I also want to thank Brendan Allen for stepping up; it means a lot. To my fans, thank you for always tuning in, supporting me, and riding with me through everything. Right now, my focus is on getting healthy so I can come back stronger than ever. When I return, I’ll be ready to make a statement."

Now, he'll have a chance to make that "statement," just against a different opponent. Although Strickland respects Hernandez, he remains firm about Whittaker.

And, yes, it was in classic Strickland fashion. The only way Strickland knows how: unfiltered.

Sean Strickland Makes Awkward Robert Whittaker Comparison

Robert Whitaker fights against Paulo Costa during UFC 298. — Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Robert Whittaker fights against Paulo Costa during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"It's not a fight I'm excited about," Strickland said of Whittaker. "It's like the girl at the party everybody’s f****d and you're just like, 'Ehh, maybe if 3 a.m. hits and there's nobody left, I might try it.'"

Meanwhile, Whittaker has lost three of his ast five fights and hasn't held the title since February 2022, when he relinquished it in his rematch against eventual Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 271.

More MMA Knockout News

• Alex Pereira’s ex-kickboxing rival fights undefeated finishing machine at UFC Seattle

• Paddy Pimblett gets heated response from fellow UFC star after outrageous comment

• 21-year-old UFC phenom could break into rankings after agreeing to UFC 326 fight

• 30-fight MMA veteran teases next UFC bout less than a month after stellar debut

Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.

Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.