by Sam Phipps
Sean Strickland returned to another Saturday night for UFC Houston. On February 21, he put on a show as the last fight of the main card against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez. With Hernandez on an eight-fight win streak and Strickland being out of the ring for over a year, this was a hyped matchup. While Strickland vs. Hernandez was an amazing fight, the rest of the main card was filled with spectacular performances by Uroš Medić, Melquizael Costa, Serghei Spivac, Jacobe Smith, and Michel Pereira.
Michel Pereira beat Zachary Reese by split decision (29-28). In the first round, Pereira landed heavy shots on Reese which gave him an upper hand. However, Reese was able to keep standing against the hard hitter. Reese was able to punch back and land some great hits on Pereira. With both heavy hitters swinging, punches were landing back and forth. It was a tough call as Pereira and Reese landed so many great hits, but Pereira was able to win the split decision and come out on top.
Jacobe Smith vs. Josiah Harrell was another great fight that ended in round 1. Both fighters were strong in grappling and striking. Harrell was able to land a takedown on Smith, but Smith had amazing defense and was able to get on top. While on top, Smith landed a series of blows on Harrell which granted Smith the win by KO. Both of these fighters had amazing technique in grappling, striking, and kicking. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them.
Following two great matches, Serghei Spivac and Ante Delija showcased amazing talent. In the first round, Spivac landed clean hits on Delija with his great jab work. However, following his great performance in the first round, Delija seemed to give Spivac a run for his money with a close called round 2. However, Spivac was able to come back in the third round and use his striking to win by unanimous decision.
Melquizael Costa defeated Dan Ige in the last 10 seconds of the first round. After hearing the slap of the final 10 seconds left, Costa threw a spinning back kick that connected to Ige’s head. While Ige was down, Costa threw a flurry of punches in which the fight was called right before the round ended. I’m very excited to see more of what Costa has in his arsenal as the year progresses.
Uroš Medić, otherwise known as “The Doctor,” fought Geoff Neal “Handz of Steel.” Both fighters are known for putting their opponents to sleep, so it was exciting to see who was going down first. The first round started and both opponents sized each other up. In a short time of 1 minute and 19 seconds, Medić was able to land a left hook that found Neal’s head and put him right to sleep. I look forward to seeing what Medić has in store for him and how high he can climb the rankings in welterweight.
Strickland vs Hernandez was a well anticipated fight and a well worth watch. In the first two rounds, Strickland went to work focusing on his jab strikes, which is what he’s well known for. Hernandez was able to withstand the strikes and landed some nice jabs back at Strickland. However, in the third round, Strickland landed a nasty knee that hurt Hernandez. This made Hernandez backpedal which Strickland took as an opening. Strickland went all in on the offensive and started a flurry of jabs to end the fight. Within 30 seconds of the knee strike on Hernandez, Strickland was able to put down Hernandez with a succession of precise punches. This was a great win for the former middleweight champion, who hasn’t been in the ring in over a year, and surely made a statement for the entire middleweight class.
From highlight reel knockouts to razor thin decisions, UFC 267 delivered a main card that lived up to the hype from start to finish. Rising contenders made statements, veterans defended their reputations, and the middleweight division may have just shifted in a major way with Strickland’s return. If this card proved anything, it’s that momentum can change in seconds inside the Octagon, and every fighter who stepped in on February 21 left an impression. With performances like these, the road to future title contention just became a lot more interesting across multiple divisions.
