TLDR
- Anthony Hernandez lost to Sean Strickland in February, ending his eight-fight win streak
- Strickland asked Hernandez to help train for his title fight against Khamzat Chimaev
- Hernandez eventually trained at Xtreme Couture with Strickland after recovering from injury
- Hernandez headlines UFC Sacramento against Gregory Rodrigues on Saturday
- Hernandez said he would be open to a rematch with Strickland if the pay was right
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com | mmasucka.com | cbssports.com
Anthony Hernandez put his ego aside after losing to Sean Strickland in February. The middleweight fighter is now training with the man who ended his eight-fight winning streak.
Strickland contacted Hernandez to help prepare for his title fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May. Hernandez was injured at the time and couldn’t help, but the two eventually linked up after Strickland won the UFC middleweight championship.
“Sean hit me up to help him out,” Hernandez told MMA Junkie. “I was hurt, couldn’t, but when I was healthy, I finally went to go train with him. It was f*cking great, and we just started training.”
Hernandez will face Gregory Rodrigues in the main event of UFC Fight Night 285 on Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The fight marks his return after the loss to Strickland snapped his impressive win streak.
FLUFFY vs ROBOCOP
Anthony Hernandez and @Gregory_MMA meet in the #UFCSacramento main event this weekend!
[ LIVE AUG 22 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus | Tickets available here 🎟️: https://t.co/bPcb5sMrw6 ] pic.twitter.com/hs7AJkbroL
— UFC (@ufc) August 18, 2026
Learning From Defeat
Hernandez explained that training with Strickland was about improvement, not pride. He said his goal is to become the best in the world and that requires working with top competition.
“The whole goal is to get better,” Hernandez said. “If I don’t ever try to get better then what the f*ck is the point of doing this sh*t. I really am trying to be the best in the world.”
The California native admitted he made mistakes in his fight against Strickland. He said he got impatient and was caught by a skilled opponent.
“Because he’s f*cking good,” Hernandez said when asked why he lost. “Sh*t happens, bro. I got caught, I got impatient, and I got caught.”
Hernandez spent time training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Strickland’s home gym. He also worked at the UFC Performance Institute while preparing for his return.
“He’s a cool dude, man. I got nothing bad to say about the guy,” Hernandez said. “He’s been helping me, and I’ve been training with him.”
Open to Future Rematch
When asked about the possibility of fighting Strickland again, Hernandez said money would be the deciding factor. He told Full Send MMA that both fighters would be open to a rematch if the pay was right.
“I don’t think any of us care. Like, it is what it is,” Hernandez said. “As long as we’re both getting paid a lot of money, I don’t give a f**k.”
Hernandez acknowledged that he needs to work his way back into title contention first. He said the only way to make real money in the sport is to win the championship.
The 32-year-old fighter has been candid about his motivations for competing. He said he wants to make enough money to retire and focus on coaching and spending time with his family.
“I don’t want to be a gatekeeper. I don’t want to be that guy,” Hernandez said. “I just want to go forward and make as much money as I can so that I can get out of this sh*t and just coach and actually be around my kids.”
Hernandez enters Saturday’s fight with renewed intensity. He told CBS Sports that he’s ready to get back in the cage after months of preparation.
“I’m sober, I’m tired, and I’m not going to lie, I really want to f*cking hurt somebody,” Hernandez said on Tuesday.
Rodrigues brings a three-fight win streak into the matchup. The Brazilian fighter is known for his knockout power and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background.
Hernandez said his game plan is to use his wrestling and pace to slow down Rodrigues. He plans to wear down his opponent and control the fight with pressure.
“Wrestling and weighing on people, I think that alone will slow him down,” Hernandez told CBS Sports. “He’s a heavy, dangerous hard hitter. I think slowing him down would be the smartest way to victory.”
The fight takes place near Hernandez’s home in El Dorado Hills, California. Strickland currently holds the UFC middleweight title after defeating Chimaev and is expected to defend the belt again in December.
