Overview
- Strickland is booked to face Anthony 'Fluffy' Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event on Feb. 21 after more than a year out.
- Head coach Eric Nicksick confirmed he will corner Strickland, saying they resolved their post–UFC 312 rift in a candid meeting.
- Strickland says he fought Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 with a broken shoulder, sought stem-cell treatment in Colombia, and felt pressured to accept the bout.
- His six-month suspension over a June altercation at a Tuff-N-Uff event ended in December, and he remained active helping teammates at Xtreme Couture.
- Hernandez enters on a lengthy win streak that Nicksick calls championship caliber, framing the Houston matchup as a potential No. 1 contender fight.