Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland got back in the win column on Saturday, defeating rising star Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event.
Strickland entered the bout ranked No. 3 in the division. Following the win, he was called out by a familiar foe, No. 2 ranked Nassourdine Imavov. “My dream. Bring me tha clown for the crown,” Imavov wrote on X.
Strickland holds a win over Imavov. The two fought in the UFC Vegas 67 main event in January 2023. Strickland earned a clear-cut unanimous decision win over “The Sniper” and doesn’t appear to be open to rematching the Russian.
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“Listen dude, I’ve moved past you. I’ve beat you. Relax,” said Strickland to Full Send MMA backstage at Toyota Center. “Either you get the belt or I get the belt. Once you get the belt, I’ll take it from you. Once I get the belt, you’ll lose to me.”
Undefeated Khamzat Chimaev holds the UFC 185-pound championship. He and Strickland where once training partners but have become bitter rivals. Whether a finish over Hernandez earned the former champion a title fight remains to be seen.
Imavov is currently riding a five-fight winning streak. He sits second in the rankings behind former titleholder Dricus du Plessis.
