UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Strickland vs. Hernandez

UFC Strickland vs. Hernandez Main Card Recap: Action, Upsets, and Wild Callouts

Honestly, this card had a little bit of everything. Surprise standouts, wild knockouts, and fighters dropping some memorable callouts in the post-fight interviews. Let’s roll through each fight and see what made these matchups fun as hell.

Jacobe Smith vs. Josiah Harrell: A Statement Finish

Fight Recap

We kicked things off with Jacobe Smith vs. Josiah Harrell. Right away, Jacoby was swinging for the fences—just wild, heavy shots, not caring one bit about getting taken down. That’s rare, especially since Harrell’s this D1 All-American wrestler. But Jacoby? Dude just didn’t care.

Harrell went for a body lock and tried to drag Jacoby to the mat, but Jacoby totally flipped the script. They hit the floor, Jacoby rolled right through with a Granby—super tricky move at top levels—grabbed side control, and finished Harrell right there on the spot. No joke, finishing someone from side control in the UFC? That barely ever happens.

Let me just put it here:

“To be in side control and just tee off on him like that and be able to finish him was very impressive. He wasn’t worried about the grappling at all.”

Jacobe kind of just rolled with it, let the takedown happen, and within ten seconds of hitting the floor, he’s getting his hand raised. Insane stuff.

What's Next?

Right after the win, Jacoby grabs the mic and calls out Kevin Holland. Now that’s a scrap I want to see. Holland’s unpredictable, long, and loves to swing. He knows Jacoby’s likely to shoot, so he’d try to turn it into a wild brawl—could easily end in a crazy KO.

Key Takeaways

• Jacoby’s confidence—both grappling and striking—is next level.
  
• You never see side control finishes in the UFC.
  
• Jacoby vs. Holland would be pure fireworks.

Heavyweight Showdown: Russian Grinders Go At It

Fight Recap

Next up: the big boys, Serghei Spivac defeated Ante Delija. Two heavyweights from Russia (or like, way out in Europe—sorry, I could barely pronounce their names). Usually, when heavyweights meet, it’s either a huge KO or a bit of a slower, grindy fight. This one was more the latter—competitive, but didn’t totally pop off.

Neither guy managed to land that one, jaw-dropping punch we all crave with heavyweights. Wasn’t boring (not exactly), just a lot of careful exchanges and calculated movement. 

Things That Stood Out

• Solid decision win—no highlight-reel knockout, but tight fight.
  
• Typical heavyweight pace: a bit slower, but tense.

Costa vs. Dan Ige: Spinning Kick Outta Nowhere

Fight Recap

If you only catch one finish, make it this one. Costa came out switching stances—mostly southpaw but kept Dan Ige guessing. Ige kept the pressure, coming forward. But then, bam, Costa lands a spinning back kick right to Ige’s head. Absolute money.

Honestly, whether he was aiming for the head or Ige just ducked into it (like that Max Holloway vs. Gaethje moment), it was clean and devastating.

“I don’t know if he threw it to the head on purpose or if Danny lunged into it. Changed levels because he thought it was going to the body… Either way, phenomenal accuracy. A great technique being taller than the guy than your opponent. Going to the head with the back kick is actually a good idea if you’re taller than your opponent for sure.”

Costa didn’t waste a second—finished the fight almost immediately after that wild kick. I low-key thought Ige would be a real problem for Costa. Guess I was way off. The finish was sick.

Fight Analysis

• Costa’s stance switching kept Ige guessing.
  
• That spinning back kick was clean and lethal.
  
• Going to the head with a back kick? If you’re tall, it’s the move.

What’s Next?

Costa’s hype is way up after this. Beating Ige like that? Huge.

Uroš Medic vs. Geoff Neal: KO Outta Nowhere

Fight Recap

Time for another shocker. Uroš Medic vs. Geoff Neal. Neal was off to a good start—moving well, light on his feet. Then suddenly, he got caught with a bomb right in the middle of an exchange, chin up, and he went down hard. Brutal KO. Sucks to see a vet like Neal go out like that, but hey, that’s the game.

“Geoff Neal looked good at first. He was moving light on his feet and just got caught clean. Got clean with the shots in the middle of exchange, backing out with his chin in the air and got hit clean. Bad knockout. So hopefully he recovered from that well and they still have no issues or anything like that.”

Big ups to Medic. Taking out a tough guy like Neal is a statement win.

Insights & Changes

• Neal really needs to fix how he exits those wild exchanges.
  
• Medic had perfect timing and accuracy.

Main Event: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez

Fight Recap

Alright, onto the big one. Strickland vs. Hernandez—this was spicy. Hernandez refused to take a step back, always pressing. Strickland, a bit shorter, did his thing—moving backwards, but landing that jab over and over. His jab is legit money—fast, accurate, hits hard.

“Strickland is way deceptively, probably more athletic than people realize. He’s very athletic for him to be able to land that jab as good as he lands jabs against, against guys, against really world class opponents like that.”

Strickland doesn’t fit the “explosive athlete” stereotype, but with the way he jabs, slips, and drops combos, he proves he’s way more agile and sharp than people give him credit for. By the third, Strickland started landing big and found the finish—a perfect way to end the night.

Tactical Highlights

• Strickland’s jab: absolutely crisp and deadly.
  
• Hernandez kept the pace up, but Strickland didn’t fold.
  
• Slipping shots and countering in the pocket—Strickland makes it look easy.

Post-Fight Callouts & Future Matchups

After snagging the win, Strickland wasted no time calling out Chimaev. If there’s a bigger fight to make at middleweight right now, I can’t think of one. Both dudes have big mouths and even bigger skills, so the trash talk and the fight itself would be next-level entertainment.

“I think that’s probably the biggest fight they can make at middleweight. If Chimaev moves up and fights someone else, then that’s a different story. But for middleweight right now, I think I don’t see why the UFC wouldn’t make this Strickland vs. Chimaev fight because they both have huge names and they’re both very vocal and it’s good for the promotion.”

Let’s hope we get Strickland vs. Chimaev ASAP. That’s the matchup fans want!